Located in the coastal area of Quang Ninh province, Quang Yen has long been a famous destination not only because of its beautiful nature, long-standing cultural and historical traditions, but also because of its unique cuisine, imbued with the flavor of the sea. Each dish carries a story about the working life of the people in the coastal area, about how they are attached to and cherish the resources from nature.
Quang Yen has a poetic natural beauty, a harmonious landscape of rivers, seas and mountains, and mangrove forests that seem to stretch endlessly. In particular, cuisine is an attractive factor that cannot be missed when coming to Quang Yen. Luxury restaurants, family restaurants or even simple meals of local people all bring memorable culinary experiences. Quang Yen people not only know how to exploit seafood but are also very creative in processing, carefully taking care of each dish from choosing ingredients to seasoning.
One of the most famous specialties of this land is the dish made from sea horseshoe crab, a seafood that lives mainly in coastal waters. They often appear in pairs, the smaller male clinging to the back of the female, and the people of Quang Yen have taken advantage of this characteristic to catch horseshoe crab effectively. The meat of sea horseshoe crab is delicious and also very nutritious. However, processing horseshoe crab requires experience and care, because not all parts of the horseshoe crab can be eaten. The skilled people of Quang Yen have turned sea horseshoe crab into a series of unique dishes, with the unique flavor of the Bach Dang estuary such as horseshoe crab rolls, horseshoe crab salad, steamed horseshoe crab, grilled horseshoe crab eggs or sweet and sour stir-fried horseshoe crab.
Among the dishes made from horseshoe crabs in Quang Yen, the most delicious is grilled horseshoe crab eggs (the best time to enjoy this dish is from October to February of the lunar calendar). The way to prepare grilled horseshoe crab eggs is also quite elaborate. The horseshoe crab is grilled on a red-hot charcoal stove, placed upside down and turned evenly until golden brown. Then, the bib is removed, the intestines are removed, and the belly is cut open with a knife to reveal a full, golden-yellow egg that is eye-catching. The horseshoe crab eggs are fatty, fragrant, high in protein and very nutritious, while the meat on the back and near the tail is chewy and sweet. The horseshoe crab meat and eggs are served with sour grapefruit, herbs, peanuts, fried onions, fish sauce, lemon, garlic and chili. All of these create a strong sea flavor symphony in the mouth of every diner.
Quang Yen people are always proud of the sea urchin dish as a cultural feature of their homeland. With the passion and sophistication in processing and innovating flavors of talented chefs, dishes made from sea urchin have gone a long way from a local market gift to a unique, outstanding dish of Quang Yen cuisine. Processing sea urchin is also considered a family profession with its own secret recipe from filtering, washing meat, to marinating spices and is preserved and developed by many families in Quang Yen. Ms. Truong Thi Vuong, Quang Yen ward shared: My family has had 3 generations attached to the profession, we always preserve the quintessence of the dishes passed down by our ancestors, at the same time trying to improve and create many new dishes to satisfy the taste of many diners, so that sea urchin dishes are always a unique culinary culture that cannot be missed by tourists coming to Quang Yen.
When it comes to Quang Yen cuisine, we cannot fail to mention stir-fried cockles with vermicelli - a rustic and unique specialty. With the harmonious combination of fresh ingredients and sophisticated preparation, stir-fried cockles with vermicelli has become a typical dish, attracting many diners from near and far. Cockles, the main ingredient of the dish, have a sweet taste, soft meat and a characteristic aroma, considered the "white gold" of Quang Yen land. Also because Quang Yen town has a large area of mangrove forest, which is a strength for cockles to live and develop, cockles from this land are more fragrant and delicious than some other coastal areas.
Although the way to prepare stir-fried cockles with vermicelli is not too complicated, it requires meticulousness to preserve the original flavor of the ingredients. First, the cockles are soaked to remove sand and mud, then skillfully split the cockles shell in half, take out the cockles meat, and collect the water inside the cockles. Wash the cockles meat gently, avoiding crushing to remove the mud while still retaining the delicious taste and not making the cockles meat bland. Then, scoop out the cockles, take the blood and beat it evenly with chopsticks. Use scissors to cut the vermicelli short, loosen the vermicelli, then pour the cockles meat into the vermicelli, mix well, and season to taste.
Fry the shallots until fragrant, add the mixed rice vermicelli and stir-fry. Add the spices and stir-fry over high heat. When the rice vermicelli is evenly separated, soaked in spices and the deep red color of the rice vermicelli, add the Vietnamese coriander and pepper and serve hot.
Enjoying stir-fried cockles with vermicelli, diners will feel the perfect blend of ingredients. The vermicelli is soft, not broken, and soaked in fragrant sauce. The cockles are fatty and sweet, with a strong taste of the sea, combined with a little bit of chili and the aroma of herbs, creating a dish that is not only delicious but also rich in local identity. Every time enjoying this dish, diners not only feel the unique flavor but also see the hospitality and sincerity of the coastal people.
Quang Yen has a poetic natural beauty, a harmonious landscape between rivers, sea and mountains, and mangrove forests that seem to stretch endlessly. Quang Yen people not only know how to exploit seafood but are also very creative in processing, carefully taking care of each dish from choosing ingredients to seasoning. Therefore, the delicious dishes here are almost a harmony between the sea, the estuary and mixed with the taste of the countryside. In addition to stir-fried cockles and traditional sam, Quang Yen also has many delicious dishes made from the essence of rivers and seas such as ocean fish, sea crabs, estuary oysters, shrimp from both countries...
Quang Yen has many forms of service for culinary lovers. If you like the rustic way, diners can go to the restaurants, raft houses or find the aquaculture ponds that also serve food. In these places, the ingredients are always fresh. Sometimes fish, shrimp, crabs are even caught on the spot, washed and brought to the kitchen. The dishes almost do not need to be seasoned, because each ingredient has its own sweetness and freshness. Enjoying seafood is enjoying that freshness.
Coming to the big restaurants in Quang Yen, diners can enjoy the dedication and sophistication in the preparation and innovation of flavors of talented chefs. Gathered from all the quintessence of the sea, dishes from the sea have traveled a long journey to become unique and outstanding dishes of Quang Yen cuisine. From luxurious dishes such as lobster, fresh crab, geoduck to popular dishes such as snails, clams... are easily found in Quang Yen restaurants. Each dish is prepared by the chef in a unique and elaborate style with fresh ingredients, creating the most unique culinary experience.
For a long time, cuisine has been an attractive factor that cannot be ignored when coming to Quang Yen. Luxury restaurants, family restaurants or even simple meals of local people all bring memorable culinary experiences. Over time, Quang Yen cuisine has been creative, innovative and developed but has not forgotten to preserve and maintain old traditional values. And the "soul" of Quang Yen cuisine is seafood dishes - the quintessence of the sea, because it is not simply dishes but also contains profound values in terms of culture, history, and unique nature of this land. At the Quang Ninh Culinary Festival 2024, the largest festival ever with the participation of 130 units from 32 provinces and cities across the country representing the three regions of North - Central - South, the Quang Yen delicacy booth won the excellent award, once again affirming the famous brand of Quang Yen cuisine.
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