(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 length below the surface. People catch clams with a rudimentary 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 clam scraper's tools 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 scoop them out, but must dig their hands deep into the sand. Ms. Ngo Thi Thuy (pictured) said: scraping clams on dry land or underwater is equally hard work, however underwater they often find larger clams. |
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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 backward. |
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| Large clams (in the photo) are sold at the sea for 60,000 VND/kg, small clams for 35,000 VND/kg. According to people in Dien Thanh, natural clams from the sea are sweeter than farmed clams, so the price is 10,000-20,000 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 brought home for family consumption or sold at the markets.Ms. Nguyen Thi Doan (in photo) from Hamlet 11, Dien Thanh Commune said:Her family has been in the clam dredging business for 4 generations.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, Malabar spinach, grilled clams, clam porridge... this rustic dish captivates many diners. |
Thu Huong
