Recently, some households in Ngoc Hien District (Ca Mau) have come up with a way to dry clams to meet the diverse needs of customers, as well as to consume commercial clams that do not meet the size and have unstable prices.
Drying clams because clam meat prices are unstable
In Ca Mau, clam meat can be processed into many simple but delicious dishes such as: steamed with ginger, boiled with lemongrass, steamed with Thai... However, dried clam is a new dish, which has just been invented by some households in Ngoc Hien district.
Dried clams, a unique dish of the people in Dat Mui
Every year, Dat Mui clam cooperative (Dat Mui commune, Ngoc Hien district) exploits and supplies hundreds of tons of commercial clams to the market. However, fresh clams are difficult to sell, the selling price is unstable, and clams that do not reach the right size have low prices. Moreover, the abundant source of fresh clams cannot be preserved for long, so people have the idea of drying them.
After soaking in clean water for about 10 hours, the clams are boiled, the meat is separated and dried.
Mr. Truong Long Chau (residing in Dat Mui commune) is the one who created the dried clam product. At first, he only made it for his own consumption. Then, he gave it to his relatives and neighbors. Many people praised its deliciousness, so he decided to make it in large quantities and sell it on the market.
Clams are "shy" of fire, so when boiling, you have to quickly stir for 3-4 minutes until the clams are cooked.
According to Mr. Chau, after soaking in clean water for about 10 hours, the clams are boiled, the meat is separated and dried. The clam meat is dried directly under the sunlight, after about 2 days it is dry. Each kilogram of finished dried clams requires about 40 kilograms of commercial clams.
Dried clams, a unique dish
With a new and attractive way of processing, this dish has been welcomed and sought after by diners near and far. "Diversifying products processed from clams helps us be proactive in production. Drying clams also helps members have more income," said Mr. Long.
Every year, Dat Mui clam cooperative exploits and supplies hundreds of tons of commercial clams to the market.
Dat Mui dried clams have a sweet taste, a characteristic aroma and moderate toughness. The dried clams are packaged and vacuum-sealed so they can be preserved for a long time, given as gifts or stored at home, suitable for Tet. Dried clams can be eaten directly, fried and seasoned with spices of your choice, or used to cook soup. This type of dried clams is not too tough, has a strange and delicious feeling, so it is currently favored by many people.
Ms. Le Hong Em (residing in Dat Mui commune) said that every day, she earns more than 150,000 VND thanks to the job of boiling, separating the meat and drying clams. "Recently, this job has brought me a stable income. Although this job is not hard, it requires meticulousness and carefulness when separating the meat of the clams," Ms. Hong Em said.
Currently, dried clams are sold for about 1.2 million VND/kg.
The clams suitable for drying are 80 - 90 clams/kg. Small clams will be cheaper, dry faster, and retain their sweetness. The process of preparing and processing dried clams is focused on food safety and hygiene to ensure quality.
Also a household that has been involved in the business of selling commercial clams for many years, Ms. Hong Kim Hue's family (Khai Long hamlet, Dat Mui commune) boldly experimented with processing dried clams.
According to Ms. Hue, compared to making dried shrimp or other types of dried seafood, dried clams are easier to process and require fewer steps. Because of their moderate salty taste, dried clams are easy to eat and easy to process to serve with many other dishes. Currently, dried clams are sold for about 1.2 million VND/kg.
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