People in the highlands of Nghe An hunt stream tadpoles to sell online

Ms. Kha Thi Mien in Tri Le commune (Que Phong) posts about selling highland specialties every day on social networking groups. On March 17, Ms. Mien posted on the group "Tri Le Que Phong People": Freshly caught stream tadpoles, cleaned and delivered to your home. After Ms. Mien's post, dozens of people commented and shared; many of them registered to buy 1 kg, 2 kg...

Ms. Kha Thi Mien said that this season is the time when fish and stream tadpoles reproduce strongly. People often go to catch them at night or early in the morning and sell them in the early morning. In addition to the number of stream tadpoles that she and her family directly catch from the wild, they also buy them from others, then bring them home to clean and sell them for 150,000 VND/kg.

During the main season, each person wakes up early in the morning, or takes advantage of the late night to diligently hunt every day, and can catch 1 - 3 kg of tadpoles and some small fish, crabs, and snails.

Stream tadpoles are newly hatched young of the forest frog species. This is an endemic species that lives commonly in highland terrain, near streams and creeks, where the climate is cold and humid. When newly hatched from forest frog eggs, stream tadpoles only have a round body and tail. After a period of development, the tadpole's tail falls off and legs appear, becoming an adult frog and living in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Forest frogs often choose deep, clean water under rocky outcrops to lay eggs. This is also where many tadpoles live.

People hunt stream tadpoles at night or early morning, when they are less mobile, often looking in ravines, streams, rock crevices, and tree roots. In Quy Chau district, mountain forest specialties such as stream tadpoles, stone crabs, bamboo shoots, and rock moss are also hunted for use and sold online, especially during the peak growing season.

“Stream tadpoles in Quy Chau district are called khuoc khum. We hunt khuoc khum and sell them mainly in Chau Nga commune and some other neighboring communes at the price of 120,000 VND/kg cleaned and 100,000 VND/kg unprocessed,” said Mr. Vi Van Dau.

Vi Van Duong often hunts stream tadpoles with Mr. Vi Van Dau. Mr. Duong said that the cold winter is also the season when tadpoles thrive, although hunting is quite hard when having to soak in cold water, the temperature drops, but everyone is willing to work hard to have an additional source of income. This season, in addition to stream tadpoles, during "hunting" occasions, you can also harvest moss, stream fish, rock crabs, stream snails, etc.

In fact, not only stream tadpoles, many other specialties of the highlands are widely spread and known to many people thanks to social networks. Since the advent of social networks, the exchange and trade of agricultural and forestry products of the people, especially those in remote areas, has become more convenient.

“The fact that the products are introduced and sold out within the day also makes us more excited. The joy of working is associated with practical benefits, although not much, but it is also the motivation to work and improve in life,” said Mr. Vi Van Dau.