(Baonghean.vn) - Dien Thinh and Dien Trung communes (Dien Chau, Nghe An) have a coastal area about 7 km long with a lot of seafood living under the sand along the shore. The most famous of which is vột.
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| On low tide days, on the 3-4 km long beach in Dien Thinh and Dien Trung communes, hundreds of people of all ages participate in catching fish. Photo: Tran Canh Yen. |
Shellfish living along the coast are a very nutritious food source such as clams, mussels, clams, mussels, scallops, etc., bringing a great profit to local people. In the above mentioned bi-shell mollusk community, scallops are considered a top specialty.
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| A woman in Dien Thinh commune catches fish. Photo: Tran Canh Yen. |
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| To catch many fish requires experience and skill. Photo: Tran Canh Yen. |
Among the two-shelled species mentioned above, the scallop is the most difficult to exploit. It cannot be caught with a rake (scraper) like a clam because its shell is very thin and easily broken when touched by a hard object; nor can it find a “ma” (hole) to dig and catch like a phi. The scallop only appears when the tide is very low and the waves are calm, at this time the scallops compete to “scrape their claws” – spraying up a very small stream of water, like the “water column” of a raindrop when falling on the calm sea.
The person who catches the sledgehammer must be very sharp-eyed and quick-handed, using a large, sharp knife to poke into the exact location of the “nail-scraping” sledgehammer. Immediately, a small hole will appear on the sand surface; then the person will stick the knife blade deep into the sand, prying and digging the sand to catch the sledgehammer. Detecting the nail-scraping sledgehammer is difficult, but locating the exact point of the “water column” to poke and find the “cave” of the sledgehammer to catch it is even more difficult.
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| In one hour, each person can catch 3 - 4 kg of bamboo. Photo: Tran Canh Yen |
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| Also a two-shelled mollusk that lives buried in the sand, but peeling off the shell requires skill from the catcher. Photo: Tran Canh Yen |
In the coastal villages of Dien Thinh and Dien Trung these days, hundreds of people of all ages go to the beach to catch sea urchins. Some are very skilled at catching sea urchins. On days when the tide is low and the waves are calm, along a stretch of 3-4 km, people are happily catching sea urchins like at a festival. From the time of low tide to the time of "tap" water (rising water) for a few hours, a urchin can catch 3-4 kg; skilled urchins can catch 5-10 kg. The urchins sold on the market cost from 50,000-60,000 VND/kg, contributing to increasing the income of local people.
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| Shredded bamboo is sold at Dien Thinh morning market for 50,000 - 60,000 VND/kg. Photo: Tran Canh Yen |
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| Shrimp is a nutritious seafood that can be prepared in many different ways such as: boiled, stir-fried with pineapple, stir-fried with cucumber, grilled with the shell, cooked in porridge, mixed soup... Photo: Tran Canh Yen |
According to locals, the scallop is very nutritious, one of the “seafoods” that enrich the meals of the people in the coastal village. The scallop can be prepared by boiling it with fish sauce, garlic, ginger or stir-frying it with eggplant, tomatoes, pineapple, making porridge, vegetable soup...
Tran Canh Yen
