Grilled pond in winter

Grilled mud crab is a rustic but very attractive dish for the people on Bac Phuoc Islet, Trieu Phuoc Commune, Trieu Phong District. Grilled mud crab is delicious in any season, but the most special is when placed on an iron grill, grilled over charcoal on cold winter days. Gathering together around the warm charcoal stove, flipping each fatty mud crab until it is just cooked, dipping it in a bowl of salt, chili, pepper, lemon and enjoying it will make everyone remember forever....

Grilled fish in winter

Grilled clams on charcoal stove is an attractive dish for many people - Photo: NB

Meretrix lusoria, also known as honey clam, has the scientific name Meretrix lusoria and is a type of clam in the family Veneridae. They are a valuable species, exploited for their meat, shells for decoration and used in Oriental medicine. Meretrix lusoria lives buried in the sand and mud bottoms of rivers and brackish lagoons, mainly and is often concentrated from the middle of the river to near the shore.

In my hometown, the larva usually lives in the mangrove forest, lagoons, surrounding the oases and the alluvial sand stretches along the Hieu River branch near the estuary. The larva meat has nutritional value not inferior to that of clams, cockles, and oysters, so it is favored by the people. However, to enjoy larva, it must be seasonal and is best from April to July of the solar calendar, which can last through the early winter months.

To exploit the natural snails, the people in my hometown often do it manually by using a thin rake to poke into the mud and sand and then take the snails up. Some people immerse themselves in the water, using their feet to trample on the sand and mud. When they discover snails, they dive down to catch them by hand. Because they are only exploited for small-scale sale and enjoyment, snails in my hometown are still abundant in lagoons, rivers, and lakes. They breed all year round and will never be completely destroyed.

In Oriental medicine, the meat of the snail is considered a medicinal herb. It has a sweet taste, slightly salty, cold, non-toxic, and has the effect of detoxifying, quenching thirst, fighting inflammation, treating thirst, drunkenness, boils, and swelling. Common uses such as cooking porridge, cooking soup, stir-frying, steaming, and grilling all promote the medicinal effects it brings. In my hometown, grilled snails are always the most popular because they retain their original flavor and are also convenient. To enjoy grilled snails, after harvesting, choose the largest ones and soak them in rice water until they have released all the dirt inside. After that, the snails are cleaned of their outer shells and depending on the grilling method, there are different next steps. The most popular are grilled snails with scallion oil and grilled snails directly on charcoal.

For grilled snails with scallion oil, the cook usually boils the live snails until they are just cooked. When the shell splits in half, take them out and wash the meat. Keep the shell to put the snail meat in to grill. Each piece of snail meat is then placed in one half of the split shell. The green onions are chopped very finely, the roasted peanuts are crushed to a moderate degree, then fried with cooking oil or fat, adding fish sauce and MSG to taste. The snails are then placed on a metal grill, grilled over charcoal until it starts to boil, then the scallion oil mixture is added. Wait until the snail meat absorbs the spices and starts to dry out before serving.

Unlike grilled scallion oil, grilled snails directly on charcoal and do not need to be marinated with any spices will always retain its characteristic flavor. To enjoy grilled snails this way, you must have a bowl of chili salt, pepper, and very spicy lemon to eat with. When the snails are just cooked, the user uses chopsticks or a sharp stick to pierce the snail meat, dip it in the bowl of salt, put it in the mouth and blow on it while eating, the feeling is really interesting. When you feel a little spicy on the tip of your tongue, you can drink the snail juice that is still in the freshly grilled shell. The fragrant, sweet taste of the snail juice at that time will make the person enjoying it excited.

On weekends, the family reunites, gathers around the red fire in winter, chats and enjoys a grilled "party". That unforgettable taste remains in our childhood memories...

Van Trang

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