(Baonghean.vn)- Clam raking, a profession that has been associated for generations with the people in the coastal area of Dien Thanh commune (Dien Chau). At dawn, when everyone was sleeping soundly, they quietly entered the night to search for the gift of the ocean.
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| From early morning, people in Hamlet 10, Dien Thanh Commune went to the sea to dig for clams. Clams usually lie deep in the sand, more than a finger's length from the surface. People catch clams with a primitive homemade tool. A bamboo pole is more than 2 meters long.Clam season starts from March to the end of July. |
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| The tools of a clam scraper are simply an iron blade used to scrape clams (the iron blade costs 150,000 VND/piece, and should be replaced every 5 months); a basket to hold the clams is attached to a bamboo stick and a sickle or knife. |
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| Clam scraper is used to detect clams under the sand. |
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| Those who scrape clams underwater do not use sickles or knives to get the clams, but must dig their hands deep into the sand. Ms. Ngo Thi Thuy (in the photo) said: scraping clams on dry land or underwater is equally hard work, however, underwater clams are often bigger. |
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| When raking clams, you must bend over, hold the rope and bamboo stick firmly with both hands, use force to press the scraper blade down into the sand, about 10 cm deep, and move backwards. |
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| Large clams (in the photo) are sold at the sea for 60 thousand VND/kg, small clams for 35 thousand VND/kg. According to people in Dien Thanh, natural clams from the sea are sweeter than farmed clams, so the price is 10-20 thousand VND/kg more expensive. |
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| Ms. Tran Thi Nga in Hamlet 10, Dien Thanh Commune - a person with over 20 years of experience in clam digging happily boasted: "Today I was lucky, in one morning I dug up more than 3kg, all big clams". |
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| Owners of kiosks and restaurants in Dien Thanh buy clams on the beach. |
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After a morning from 5am to 10am, clam scrapers can earn at least 100,000 VND. The small clams that restaurants do not buy are taken home for family food or sold retail at markets.Ms. Nguyen Thi Doan (in photo) hamlet 11 Dien Thanh commune said:Her family has 4 generations of clam scraping profession.This job helps her raise 3 children to go to college. |
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Clams are a refreshing and nutritious dish in meals. Clams can be processed into many dishes such as: steamed clams with lemongrass, clams boiled with betel leaves, jute, grilled clams, clam porridge... this rustic dish captivates many diners. |
Thu Huong
