Delicious delta crab claws

Fried crab pincers with salt, a traditional Mekong Delta style dish - Photo: Mai Ly

The Mekong Delta is home to a type of rock crab or cua da that lives near the sea or in inland rocky areas. The crab is made into a few Mekong Delta specialties such as crab steamed with beer, crab rice soup and crab noodle soup. One of the delta’s favorite dishes is fried crab pincers.

The crab is about as wide as your wrist and its shell and pincers are dark purple. The pincers are very hard but the meat inside is very sweet.

To make the dish choose some big crabs then wash and wait till dry. Fry them with salt on low heat. After 10 minutes, when the crab pincers turn bright red, serve them with rau ram (a kind of fragrant vegetable) and mixed lemon and pepper.

The crabs are nocturnal so it is easiest to catch them at night when they are feeding. Fishermen sell them for VND8,000 per crab, while restaurants in the delta sell a serve for VND15,000.

When in Can Tho City, try the crab pincers at Minh Bao Restaurant in Hung Thanh Ward, Cai Rang District.

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