African tourists 'sweat' enjoying 'raw' specialties in Ha Tinh

Lindo (26 years old, an Angolan vlogger with a Youtube channel of more than 530,000 followers) is a familiar Youtuber face to Vietnamese netizens, known as a close friend of Quang Linh Vlogs in the African group.

Last August, this young man had a long trip to Vietnam, visiting many provinces and cities such as Hanoi, Ha Giang, Nghe An, etc. with his friends and enjoying a series of attractive specialties.

Lindo and her Vietnamese friend enjoyed many delicious dishes in Hanoi during their long trip to Vietnam last August (Screenshot).

Most recently, when he came to Ha Tinh, Lindo was taken by Quang Linh and a few Vietnamese friends to Ky Anh district to experience Vung Ang jumping squid. Although he had previously tasted many Vietnamese dishes that Westerners find “difficult” such as shrimp paste, duck eggs, etc., the African man still could not hide his bewilderment at the crackling, “eaten alive” specialty here.

In Ha Tinh, squid from Vung Ang sea is famous for its freshness and sweet taste, different from squid from other regions because squid live naturally in deep and salty seawater.

The best time to eat squid here is from February to July of the lunar calendar every year. After being caught from the sea, fishermen bring the squid back to raise in cages in clean seawater. When there are customers, people use nets to catch the squid.

When scooped up, the squid still crackles, its eyes and body blink continuously, so people often call it "dancing squid" or "flashing squid". That's why the squid here is always fresh, delicious and sweet.

Vung Ang jumping squid is a famous specialty in Ha Tinh, often processed into two most popular delicious dishes: squid salad and steamed squid (Photo: Dang Duc Thang)

Because it is a famous specialty, jumping squid is sold at a fairly high price, ranging from 500,000 - 600,000 VND/kg. At times, jumping squid increased in price to 800,000 - 900,000 VND/kg but it is still known and sought after by many diners.

Jumping squid is processed into many dishes, the most popular are salad and steamed, served with mustard or ginger fish sauce, wrapped in betel leaves. These two dishes are cooked simply but ensure to retain the delicious, sweet taste of fresh squid.

In particular, there is another way that locals love to enjoy when tasting Ha Tinh's specialty, jumping squid. That is, scooping the squid from the cage, rinsing it with filtered water, and then dipping it directly into the accompanying dipping sauce made from soy sauce, mustard, and other spices.

Arriving at a house where squids are raised, Quang Linh did not hesitate to try this famous “raw” specialty. He also carefully and meticulously instructed Lindo on how to eat it deliciously, in the style of a local.

The African guy looked confused and grimaced when he saw Quang Linh enjoying the "eaten alive" specialty (Screenshot)

However, contrary to his imagination and expectations, the African man was very cautious and somewhat worried about this dish. As someone who loves and understands Vietnamese cuisine, having enjoyed many Vietnamese dishes that even Westerners "sweat" such as balut, shrimp paste, etc., Lindo could not hide his bewildered and fearful expression.

He kept shaking his head, avoiding and grimacing when his close friend suggested enjoying the dancing squid dish. However, amidst the cheers and encouragement from everyone around, the Angolan guest still "blindly" tasted the first piece.

Lindo admitted that he could not eat the famous raw squid dish here even though he tried twice (Photo cut from clip)

Despite his efforts, Lindo admitted that he really could not eat the raw squid dish of Ha Tinh people. After giving up on the first try, the 26-year-old man continued to taste the dish on the second try. But because the taste was not suitable, he had to "give up" before the famous specialty of this land.

Although he cannot eat Ha Tinh jumping squid, Lindo commented that Vietnamese cuisine has many delicious dishes that he can enjoy many times without getting bored. Previously, with the schedule of discovery and experience in Hanoi, this African guest also had the opportunity to taste a series of famous specialties such as chicken pho, duck eggs, vermicelli with fermented shrimp paste, fried spring rolls, grilled meat sandwiches, etc. He even ate two bowls of chicken pho at the same time and "cleaned up" 4 duck eggs, continuously exclaiming how delicious they were.

Phan Dau

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