Cheap Vietnamese abalone attracts customers

Fresh or frozen Vietnamese abalone has been attracting customers recently due to its low price, only 10,000 VND each.

Abalone has long been a high-end seafood, mainly imported from Korea and Australia, with prices reaching several million VND per kilogram. However, in recent years, more domestic products have appeared on the market. The peak harvest season for this type of seafood falls in the first months of the year, so businesses sell it at very cheap prices, attracting consumers.

Ms. Loan, a customer in Binh Thanh District (HCMC) said she had never bought fresh abalone at such a cheap price. Currently, small abalone from Phan Thiet sea area is sold by traders for 10,000 VND each. Each tray of 20 abalone of this type costs about 200,000 VND.

Previously, Vietnamese abalone was quite rare, sometimes costing up to 20,000-25,000 VND per abalone, equivalent to 800,000 to 1 million VND per kilogram. "The first time I tried it, it was quite fresh and delicious, so I ordered 6 more trays, but the store said I would have to wait until next week for more stock," she shared.

Large abalone at a purchasing warehouse in Nha Trang. Photo: An Cang

Phan Thiet and Khanh Hoa fishermen said that abalone is caught all year round, but is most abundant from March to August. During this time, abalone grows strongly, has thick meat, delicious flavor and good price.

Mr. Nguyen Van Hai, a fisherman who specializes in catching abalone in Nha Trang, said that this type often clings to coastal rocks, each measuring 7-10 cm in size. The smallest type weighs up to 90 per kilogram, the medium type weighs 40-50, and the larger type weighs about 20-30 per kilogram, with firm, crispy, sweet meat.

At some seafood stores in Ho Chi Minh City, the products were sold out as soon as they arrived. In many other cases, customers had to wait a whole week because demand exceeded supply.

Hong Anh, a shop owner in Binh Thanh District, revealed that she can sell 500 abalones a day. The smallest type weighs 90 abalones per kilogram, and the shop owner sells them in sets of 30 abalones for VND105,000, making it easy for customers to enjoy this specialty. The average type is sold for VND400,000 a kilogram.

"Every day customers call to ask about buying goods but we cannot supply enough because the demand is too high," Hong Anh shared.

After being caught by fishermen, abalone is immediately transferred to traders and frozen to maintain freshness and quality. According to traders, Vietnamese abalone is smaller than imported products but is fresh and delicious, and costs only one-third of the price of products imported from Korea and Australia.

Vietnamese abalone has a natural sweetness, crispy and chewy meat, and retains its freshness when processed. Currently, boats and fishermen sell each baby abalone for 3,000-4,000 VND, and medium and large sizes for 7,000-25,000 VND.

A tray of 25 abalones, weighing 500 grams, is sold for 190,000 VND. Photo: An Cang

In coastal areas such as Nha Trang, Phu Yen, Quy Nhon and Binh Thuan, abalone is in season, output has increased compared to previous years, helping to stabilize prices.

Ms. An, owner of An Cang seafood store - a purchasing hub in Nha Trang, said that this year the price of abalone has decreased by about 10% compared to last year. This is a decrease of about 20-30% compared to the peak periods before Tet. Her establishment sells by the half-kilogram tray, priced at 190,000 VND for the average type, or 380,000 VND per kilogram. "Because of the good price, many customers order dozens of trays at a time to save for later consumption," Ms. An said.

Abalone exploitation is currently strictly managed to protect marine resources. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, fishermen are not allowed to harvest juvenile abalone below a minimum size to ensure sustainable development.

To reduce pressure on natural exploitation, some areas have implemented abalone farming models. Preservation and transportation standards are also applied to maintain fresh quality before reaching consumers. Although there are no national statistics, each sea area annually exploits and sells from a few to tens of tons to the market.

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