Stir-fried bean sprouts - a 'patience-testing' specialty in Hai Phong

Many diners spend an hour enjoying a bowl of stir-fried bean sprouts, a specialty of Hai Phong coastal region.

In Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, it is not difficult to find restaurants selling Hai Phong specialties such as crab cakes, spicy bread, and Cot Den pate. But there is one specialty that if you want to eat, you have to go to Hai Phong to enjoy, which is stir-fried bean sprouts.

Sea bean sprouts, also known as sea bean sprouts, are a type of mollusk with a dark green shell, at first glance quite similar to a mussel but only the size of a thumb. They live deep under the sea sand, have legs about 4 - 5 cm long exposed, are slender and have the shape of bean sprouts, so they are called sea bean sprouts.

Stir-fried bean sprouts are listed in the Hai Phong Cuisine Map by the Hai Phong Department of Tourism, located at the Luong Van Can market food court, May To ward, Ngo Quyen district.

Luong Van Can market food court, famous for stir-fried bean sprouts

Located about 200 meters from the market gate, the restaurant of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang (51 years old) at 11 Doi Can is one of the first places to sell stir-fried bean sprouts at the market. "Stir-fried bean sprouts are not a strange dish to Hai Phong people, but at that time, no one sold them at Luong Van Can market, so I researched how to prepare them and opened a restaurant. It has been 15 years now," Ms. Hang said.

Mrs. Hang's shop opens from 2:00 p.m. to about 6:30 p.m. every day. The area is about 10 square meters, has a roof, is a place to park, has about two more dining tables and Mrs. Hang's stall. The area inside the shop is about 20 square meters, can serve 10 - 15 customers at the same time.

Ms. Hang said the main ingredient, fresh bean sprouts, is imported from coastal areas of Hai Phong such as Trang Cat (Hai An district), Do Son (Do Son district), Cat Ba (Cat Hai district). Because bean sprouts live in sand, the preparation process is elaborate. The outer shell needs to be removed of sand and dirt by scrubbing and rubbing. Then, soak fresh bean sprouts in water for at least 6 hours to release all the dirt inside and then wash them clean.

After preliminary processing, the bean sprouts are separated, the body is kept intact and stir-fried with onions, garlic, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric powder, vinegar and spices. Flour or diluted tapioca starch is used to thicken the dish. The finished stir-fried bean sprouts are a mixture of bean sprout meat and a smooth, thick sauce with a yellow color of turmeric.

A pot of bean sprouts with half of the surface covered with stir-fried bean sprouts was placed by Ms. Hang on the stove right in front of the restaurant, steaming and giving off an attractive aroma to customers. The owner used a ladle to scoop two layers of meat from the pot to serve a bowl of stir-fried bean sprouts for 30,000 VND. The bowl of bean sprouts was topped with a little chopped coriander.

Holding a bowl of stir-fried bean sprouts in hand, many people think that the dish is expensive compared to the quantity. However, Ms. Hang said that one kilogram of bean sprouts costs 150,000 VND, not to mention the elaborate preparation to keep the bean sprouts fresh, firm and without any fishy smell. "A bowl of bean sprouts is so small, but some people eat it for an hour," Ms. Hang said.

Enjoying stir-fried bean sprouts is not as simple as using chopsticks to pick up rice noodles or using a needle to pick up snail meat. Diners must skillfully combine their teeth and tongue to separate the bean sprouts’ shells and meat in their mouths. Although the bean sprouts’ shells are quite soft, this is a challenge for those who are not used to this way of eating that requires dexterity and patience.

The reward that diners receive is a layer of sweet, fatty meat mixed with a sweet and sour sauce with the aroma of turmeric, galangal, and lemongrass, which helps to remove the characteristic fishy smell of the bean sprouts. The bean sprout legs are the transparent outer layer that covers the meat inside, and diners can eat the shell as well. The legs are crunchy, a bit chewy and sweet, and when chewed, it feels fun. The strange taste of bean sprout meat can make some people who try it for the first time find it difficult to eat.

The family of Ms. Thu Mai (31 years old, Le Chan district) has been a regular customer of Ms. Hang's restaurant for nearly 5 years. Ms. Mai said that she has eaten stir-fried bean sprouts in many places such as Cat Bi market, Co Dao market, but Ms. Hang's restaurant is the most suitable for her taste because "the spices are just right, the bean sprouts are crispy, the meat is not fishy or has an unpleasant smell".

According to Nguyen Tham (27 years old, Kien Thuy district), stir-fried bean sprouts are suitable to eat on cool or rainy days, especially when you have free time to fully enjoy the flavor. "Stir-fried bean sprouts take more time to eat than snails, and because you have to use your teeth to peel the shell, it is not suitable for people with weak teeth. Although it is a Hai Phong specialty, it takes a long time to eat and can cause allergies, so this is not my favorite dish," Tham said.

Ms. Thu Mai's family (31 years old, Le Chan district) enjoys stir-fried bean sprouts at Ms. Hang's restaurant.

The price of the tank is a mollusk similar to jellyfish, so it can cause allergies to some people. For first-timers, diners should eat a small amount first and wait about 15 - 20 minutes to see how the body reacts.

Every day, Ms. Hang's shop sells about 10 kg of fresh bean sprouts. As a snack, the shop is most crowded between 4-5 pm. On weekends, there are more tourists from other provinces, especially Hanoi.

In addition to Mrs. Hang’s restaurant, on Doi Can Street in Luong Van Can Market, there are many other shops selling stir-fried bean sprouts for customers to choose from. Bean sprouts are cold in nature, so customers can enjoy them in the summer to cool down. However, because stir-fried bean sprouts are more delicious when eaten hot, the number of customers in the winter is higher. This is also the time when bean sprout salad is sold along the food court of Luong Van Can Market.

Quynh Mai

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