Cua Lo's local products during the season when the sea calls.

Local products attract tourists.

This is the third time Ms. Vi Lay Thon from Vientiane, Laos, has visited Vietnam, and each time, Cua Lo remains an indispensable destination for her whole family. Having rented an electric vehicle with her children to go to Nghi Thuy seafood market to buy squid and fish for eating and as souvenirs, Ms. Vi Lay Thon said: "The food is what attracts my family and makes us always want to return to Cua Lo. The seafood here is fresh, delicious, and inexpensive – something you can't find in Laos – so we eat it every time we come and never get tired of it; and we also buy it as gifts, everyone loves it.”

Without flashy colors or extravagant designs, Cua Lo's seafood attracts visitors with its fresh, simple, and genuine quality, reflecting the character of the local fishermen, yet possessing a unique charm. According to experienced fishermen, the seawater in this region has a moderate salinity, resulting in delicious, flavorful seafood that isn't overly strong.

Living in Hanoi, but seafood from Cua Lo is rarely absent from the kitchen of Ms. Vu Thu Hang's family. Not only the parents, but also their children are "addicted," from expensive fish like pomfret, sea bass, and mackerel, to more "common" products like fresh herring, scad, and anchovies...

Because of its appealing cuisine, instead of choosing other tourist destinations for the April 30th holiday, the couple decided to bring their children back to Cua Lo – a place that has become familiar to their family.

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"The seafood from Nghe An is so delicious that I not only buy it for my family, but I also regularly order it as gifts for friends and relatives who share the same taste. This helps promote the products of a region I love, and it's also a joy for me to give those I cherish the opportunity to enjoy delicious food."

Ms. Vu Thu Hang - Tourist from Hanoi

From 3 a.m., Nghi Thuy fish market was bustling with buyers and sellers. On the docks and in the boats were baskets of fresh fish – the bounty of Cua Lo during the fishing season. Besides the long, fresh mackerel – a famous specialty of the Cua Lo coastal region – there were also gleaming, fresh herring and scad.

Showing customers a crate of fresh scad fish, Ms. Bui Thi Nga from Binh Minh block, Nghi Thuy ward, happily said: "This is one of the particularly delicious types of fish. Although the selling price is only 40,000 VND/kg, it's great eaten fresh in salads or sun-dried and seasoned to go with beer. It tastes much better than many other 'traditional' types of fish like yellowfin tuna."

Under the early summer sun, tourists arriving in Cua Lo during the early beach season are eager and curious about the translucent, shimmering scad fish lying peacefully in the basin.

Here, there are also high-value fish species such as white pomfret and spotted catfish, which sell for 550,000-700,000 VND/kg. Each day, the boats only catch between 50 kg and 100 kg at most.

"The boat owner doesn't sell retail but in 10kg trays. Those who want to buy it have to pool their money together. Most of it goes to restaurants to serve tourists; during 'peak' days, even if you have money, it's difficult to buy," said Ms. Bui Thi Nga.

Business opportunities during the beach tourism season.

Having worked in this business for 10 years, Mr. Tho (owner of Tho Hau establishment at Nghi Thuy market) said: "We mainly buy and process mackerel. Normally, our establishment buys 5-7 quintals of fish per day. In other seasons, the freshest, best quality mackerel sells for 200,000 VND/kg, but during the tourist season, the price increases along with the strong market demand. Not only does the amount of fish imported for restaurants increase, but we also have to stock up to serve tourists who come to the market to buy," Mr. Tho said. Here, customers can buy fresh or grilled fish depending on their needs; the establishment packages and vacuum-seals everything, making it very convenient for long-distance transport.

Nghi Thuy fishing port currently has 20 pairs of offshore fishing vessels. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong, Head of the Port Management Board: On days with favorable sea conditions, the amount of fish caught can reach hundreds of thousands of tons, but on other days, only a few dozen tons are caught. At the dock, there are four "middlemen" who specialize in buying and distributing the fish to various provinces and cities on the same day.

Although it's only the beginning of summer, the number of visitors coming to tour, experience, and purchase products at the production and product showrooms in Hai Giang 1 Fish Sauce Village (Cua Lo) has already started to increase. Produced using traditional methods, Cua Hoi fish sauce is also the first product from Cua Lo to be recognized as a 3-star OCOP product of Nghe An province in 2020. More than just an attractive "condiment" on the dining table in this coastal city, Cua Hoi fish sauce is also known to tourists from near and far as an appealing tourism product.

With over 50 fermentation vats for making fish sauce, Mr. Hoang Duc Thuong's family-run fish sauce production facility in Hai Giang 1 hamlet produces approximately 15,000-20,000 liters of fish sauce annually. Selected as a showcase and demonstration site for the production process, he welcomes dozens of groups from various provinces and cities each month to visit, experience, and purchase his products.

“Cua Hoi fish sauce is very popular with tourists because of its rich, sweet and aromatic flavor, and its packaging is also constantly being improved to be more beautiful and eye-catching. Many customers, after purchasing the product, continue to order by phone for long-term use or recommend it to new buyers,” said Mr. Hoang Duc Thuong.

More than just a journey to discover the beauty of nature, the Cua Lo tourist season is also an opportunity for visitors to experience and enjoy the unique local products of this salty coastal town.

Phu Huong