Sweet and delicious oysters from my hometown

(Baonghean) -“Hey, buy me some oysters. I’ve been prying them all morning and only got this much. I’ll sell them to you cheap,” a girl’s voice invited. I looked at the shelled oysters and the pile of oyster shells lying around. The image of my childhood with a bowl of sweet and cool oyster soup to soothe the summer afternoon suddenly came back to me…

Oysters are mollusks that live in the sea and brackish water, like clams, geoducks, mussels, etc. But the sea produces hundreds of thousands of foods in its heart, each with its own characteristics and flavors. It seems that oysters are the ugly children of the sea, not having a smooth shell, or many beautiful colors, but rough, thorny, dark brown, but inside, there is a fragrant, sweet, ivory-white oyster body.

The people of my hometown, the children born by the sea, have known since ancient times to live by the sea, earning a living from the gifts that the sea brings. The sea is tolerant and spacious, but fishermen also have to pay with so much sweat, with tough black skin, with even bloody cuts when their hands and feet cut the sharp shells of scallops, snails, and not excluding oysters. That oyster body, like fish and shrimp, contributed to feeding them through the days of famine. In the past, oysters seemed to be an endless resource under the sea, a ready-made food that did not require going far out to sea, for people to collect, scoop, rake...; in places where there were few, they would chisel, carve, and skillfully take them for each daily meal. Rustic, but very healthy, rich in nutrients to nourish health and also known as a "food of love"!

Grilled oysters with scallion oil and a bowl of fragrant sticky rice porridge; It takes about 15-20kg of oyster shells to get 1kg of oyster meat.

But because of being exploited too "carelessly", the oyster source is gradually depleted, now people want to go to the deep sea to find really big oysters, only in big water can they find them, or dry them in the sun, chisel each one clinging to the rock surface. People started thinking about raising oysters with the guidance and encouragement of the People's Committee of Quynh Luu district. The Mai Giang River, Mo River... flowing into the estuary is where for nearly two decades, Quynh Luu people have been planting stakes and dropping ropes to raise oysters. Oysters are easy to raise, just need a place to cling to, they will grow naturally, no special care is needed. The water in the rivers at the estuary has high salinity and the tides rise and fall regularly, very suitable for oysters, after 6 to 8 months they can be harvested. Now, oysters are not only food for coastal people, but also a favorite delicacy of many tourists coming here.

For coastal people, the simpler the oyster is prepared, the more delicious it is. The simplest way is to pry open the oysters, mix them with vinegar or lemon, add garlic, chili, pepper and eat them like a salad. The sour, spicy taste, mixed with the cool sweetness of the oysters, makes it unforgettable for anyone who has ever tasted them. Coastal people, who have been away for decades, still remember and long to return home, to dive into the sea, to step on oysters with their feet, and once again taste the flavor of their homeland that has helped raise them to be who they are today.

In return, there are dozens of other ways to enjoy the rich, fatty, but refreshing taste of oysters. First, we have to mention grilled oysters with scallion oil with an attractive aroma. The oyster has had part of its shell split, revealing the fresh, plump, milky white meat inside, placed on a charcoal stove to grill until cooked. When the water from the oyster meat begins to boil, add the fried scallion oil and a little roasted peanuts, crushed chili pepper on the surface. You have to watch the heat so that the oysters are just cooked, do not grill too much, making the oyster meat firm, losing its inherent sweetness. After removing it from the stove, leave the whole oyster shell on the dining table, just smelling the aroma, it stimulates every taste bud, after eating, you still linger over the sweet, soft, fatty taste of grilled oysters.

Oysters can also be cooked into porridge, a simple and nutritious dish, suitable for everyone. Fresh oysters are washed, marinated with spices. Put rice in the pot, cook until soft and smooth, if you can choose red rice, or upland rice is best. Thinly slice the shallots, fry until fragrant and add the oyster intestines to cook. Then pour the oysters into the porridge pot, season to taste. When scooping into a bowl, scoop each spoonful of porridge, put it in your mouth, and feel the sweetness of the oysters, the deliciousness of the rice, the spiciness of pepper, along with perilla leaves, coriander... At night, after walking around the coast, at any restaurant by the sea, you can order a bowl of oyster porridge to warm your stomach.

On hot summer days in the Central region, a bowl of oyster soup cooked with vegetables (a little amaranth, sweet potato shoots, Malabar spinach, jute...) makes the meal more delicious. Just buy 3-5 taels of oysters, enough to cook a pot of soup, stir-fry with squash, luffa, passionflower... for a family of 5. And there are many other dishes steamed, stir-fried, fried, spring rolls, stews, sauces, soups, from that small oyster intestine.

Now, running along the 537B road, which runs through more than a dozen communes in the coastal area of ​​Quynh Luu, we can easily see groups of people sitting in front of their houses, prying open oyster shells and selling them to passersby. Even children, during school hours and at home, help their mothers pry open oyster shells. With a small, sharp hammer on both sides, they skillfully and skillfully separate the oyster shells and remove the shells. I looked at the oyster pry tool, then at the tattered gloves, and realized that getting a few kilos of oyster shells is not easy. Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong (32 years old, An Hoa commune, Quynh Luu) said: “It takes about 15-20 kilos of oyster shells to separate 1 kilo of oyster shells. This season, oysters are the cheapest, each kilo of oyster shells is sold for 60,000 - 90,000 VND, depending on the size of the oyster. As for the talent, we have to mention the people who dive for oysters in the sea.” Now there are few oysters in the sea, so you can only catch oysters at a depth of about 3 fathoms (each fathom is about 1.5m). Oyster divers, every 1-2 minutes, sink under the sea, come up to breathe and rest for about 5 minutes, then continue to sink. Each time they dive, the most people get 40-50 kg, the least people get 20-30 kg of oyster shells.

Quynh Nghia riverbank - where people raise oysters.

Standing on Quynh Nghia bridge, looking far away is a long stretch of bamboo poles buried to make oyster farms. Each year, oyster fields like this create an additional income for households from 10 to 15 million VND. Although hard, it is also a stable livelihood for the people of the coastal village. In the afternoon, the rising tide reflects the blue sky. About 2km away, is the long beach with straight rows of casuarinas. Tourists are coming more and more to Quynh beach, which still has its wild beauty. To relax with the sea, please do not forget to try the sweet taste of fresh oysters...

Article and photos: Ho Lai