A masterpiece of the sea.
Many people know that Cua Lo squid is famously delicious and recognized as one of Vietnam's top 10 seafood specialties. But few people know why Cua Lo squid is so "expensive," both literally and figuratively.
Nhat Lan| Design:Huu QuanMay 31, 2026
Many people know that Cua Lo squid is famously delicious and recognized as one of Vietnam's top 10 seafood specialties. But few people know why Cua Lo squid is so "expensive," both literally and figuratively.
Before arriving at Cua Lo beach, my friend from the North meticulously inquired about accommodation, restaurants, and seafood selections. Naturally, among the specialties recommended to him, squid was the number one choice. “Most seafood is readily available in restaurants, but for squid, you can find it around 9 PM in the area leading to Lan Chau Island; there you'll see fishing boats bringing in fish and squid to sell to tourists.”
"Buying squid directly from fishing boats at this time of year is the only way to truly enjoy the fresh, live squid of Cua Lo..." Then, on the day of departure, you praised the deliciousness of Cua Lo's fresh, live squid, but complained that the price was a bit high...
Following your complaint, and also to learn about the squid fishing profession, we contacted the Farmers' Association of Cua Lo Ward. Then, in mid-April, a "night fishing trip" with Cua Lo fishermen to catch squid was organized.
The trip was truly elaborate. After painstakingly completing the procedures to go to sea, we (including Mr. Hoang Van Thang - Chairman of the Farmers' Association of Cua Lo Ward) also had to abide by the "two no's" of Captain Nguyen Van Tien, a fisherman from Nghi Thuy Hamlet. For safety reasons, Mr. Tien issued two requirements that passengers on board had to comply with: First, do not remove life jackets; second, do not walk on the deck while the ship is moving.
The ship departed from Cua Lo Port at 6:15 PM. At this time, the wind was gentle, the sea was rippling, and the sunset shimmered in the distance. About 30 minutes later, the ship passed Lan Chau Island and approached Ngu Island. On the sea, there were quite a few small boats and motorboats with their headlights on, shining brightly. Heading towards the Cua Lo beach area with its countless twinkling lights, Captain Nguyen Van Tien stated that the ship was about 5-6 km from shore.
Stopping the boat, he said, "Fishermen go fishing early this season. Let's stop here to fish for squid too..." Captain Nguyen Van Tien's squid fishing equipment was quite simple. The rod was a bamboo piece about 1.5 meters long attached to a reel; the bait consisted of reflective artificial shrimp with four very sharp hooks attached.
Equipping each crew member with a fishing rod, Mr. Tien switched on three large spotlights mounted on the sides of the boat. The lights shone brightly, casting a wide beam of light down onto the sea, spanning several tens of meters.2"The light will attract the squid closer to the boat...", Tien explained.
The skill of catching squid isn't too difficult. Use a casting rod with a float and bait and cast it out a few fathoms. Then, gently and steadily jerk the rod, enough to make the line vibrate the artificial bait, catching the light and creating a reflective effect in the water. Because the artificial bait is reflective, squid swimming nearby will easily spot it and use their tentacles to grab it. When the squid's tentacles grab the bait, the angler will feel the line tighten and the rod being pulled. This is when the angler gently jerks the rod to hook the squid.
Squid fishing is simple enough. Yet, our entire group of seven amateur fishermen tossed about on the sea for over an hour, and only one person managed to catch a squid about 12cm long. The squid was brought to the surface, its body transparent, its tentacles twitching. The whole team cheered, and Captain Nguyen Van Tien laughed happily: "That's a trophy..."
After another 30 minutes of fishing, by over 9 PM, we hadn't caught anything. At this point, the sea was rough, with lightning flashing constantly. "With this kind of rough sea, there's going to be heavy rain..." Captain Nguyen Van Tien said confidently. Then he urged everyone to quickly reel in their lines and turn the boat towards shore. We arrived at Cua Lo port at 10:15 PM.
Although I regretted the unfinished night fishing trip with no catch, I realized that the high price of squid was... justified. As my colleague Nguyen Ngoc Dung said when leaving the boat: "We lost a lot on this trip. No wonder fishermen sell squid at such high prices..."
If you type "Cua Lo squid" into Google, you'll find hundreds of articles on reputable websites. These include: "Crowds flock to Cua Lo to hunt for squid" (Tienphong.vn); "Cua Lo lights up from dusk till night during squid season" (Laodong.vn); "Squid market - A unique feature of Cua Lo tourism" (Congthuong.vn); "Night market selling only squid in Nghe An" (Vnexpress.net)... or "Cua Lo night squid market: Selling without weighing, yet still attracting crowds" (Eva.vn); "Cua Lo squid - A gift from the sea that captivates every tourist" (Vinpearl.com)...
According to the Visitnghean tourism website of the Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Cua Lo squid, along with ocean tuna (Phu Yen), O Loan lagoon blood cockles (Phu Yen), Binh Ba lobster (Khanh Hoa), Phan Thiet sun-dried squid (Binh Thuan), Con Dao snails (Ba Ria - Vung Tau), Phu Quoc sea snails (Kien Giang), and mantis shrimp (Ca Mau), are among the top 10 Vietnamese seafood specialties.
To help tourists identify Cua Lo's "flashing squid," this website writes: "Flashing squid is the term used for squid that have just been caught, with transparent bodies and skin that constantly flashes with phosphorescent spots..."
After our "night outing" to experience squid fishing, we visited Lanzhou's squid street. It was 10:30 PM, but the vendors and buyers were still bustling about. Along with squid, many other seafood items were on display, such as snails, crabs, shrimp, fish, and prawns.
Everything was incredibly fresh, but the squid truly captivated tourists. The squid were displayed on large plates, in bowls, and on trays... Each one was translucent and shimmering with a phosphorescent glow.
In particular, squid are only sold in bundles of 10-20 pieces, depending on size. They are estimated to cost around 1.1-1.3 million VND/kg. Expensive. But whatever bundles the fishing boats bring ashore are sold out immediately. Hoang Van Thang, Chairman of the Cua Lo Farmers' Association, had to use his connections to buy a bundle of squid from the boats to treat the amateur fishermen.
For us, seafood, especially squid, is nothing new. But that late night, it was our first time enjoying authentic Cua Lo squid in the breezy sea breeze. The squid was divided into three portions to prepare three dishes: salad, stir-fry, and boiled. The flavors of each dish were distinctly different, but every one was delicious and delightfully sweet. As our friend from the North remarked, "Cua Lo squid is absolutely superb," and it truly deserves its place among the top 10 Vietnamese seafood specialties.
At the farewell, the Chairman of the Cua Lo Ward Farmers' Association, Hoang Van Thang, revealed that in order to develop Cua Lo into a year-round seaside tourist destination, the Party Committee and the government are aiming to create a squid festival. Connecting with the Vice Chairman of the Cua Lo Ward People's Committee, Phung Duc Nhan, he confirmed and stated that the Cua Lo squid festival has been identified by the Party Committee and the government as one of the major festivals in 2026.
To implement this, the ward has partnered with Vietravel Tourism Joint Stock Company, a professional unit with sufficient resources and dedication to coordinate the organization. To ensure the festival's success and to showcase Cua Lo's top specialty to a wide audience, a detailed plan is currently being developed by the ward and Vietravel Tourism Joint Stock Company, with implementation expected in July...
I was very pleased to receive information from the Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Cua Lo Ward, Phung Duc Nhan. Cua Lo, with its "Four Seasons of Sea Calling" theme, has been a long-standing goal of the province. To achieve this success, many truly attractive activities are needed, including those that honor local products and promote tourism.
Cua Lo's fresh squid has transcended local boundaries to become one of Vietnam's top 10 seafood specialties, truly deserving of the title of a masterpiece from the sea; and it is therefore worthy of the dedication and effort of the Cua Lo ward Party Committee and government in developing it into a truly attractive traditional festival to be held annually.
