Sam (horseshoe crab) is a nutritious and unique specialty in Ha Long. Horseshoe crab are a rare and unique type of seafood that is challenging to process. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to visit Ha Long, you must try this dish at least once!
1/ Distribution of Sam in Vietnam
Sam is marine animal found in coastal areas of Vietnam with high tides. They have 6 legs and 4 eyes. Normally, they live as a pair throughout their lives, which is why there is a local saying “stuck together like sam” A sam pair will lay many eggs from April to August each year. Afterward, the female sam will move to another place.
Sam is abundant in the sea, especially in the bays of Quang Ninh, particularly in Quang Yen. They usually travel in pairs, and when caught, people often release one of them. During a specific time of the year, female sam will have a lot of eggs. Many residents take advantage of this time to catch sam and collect eggs. Typically, a female sam weighs between 1.5 to 3.5 kg, while it’s surprising that male sam is lighter, only about 1 to 2 kg.
Sam is not as hard to find as razor clams, but they are challenging to process. To prepare delicious sam dishes, one needs skills and experience gained from years of fishing. The sam season in Quang Ninh lasts from October to February of each lunar year.
2/ Interesting Legend about Sam
The folklore about the meaningful legend of sam come from a saying passed down through generations. Male and female sea cucumbers often move together, with the male lying on the back of the female and being only half the size of the female. Sea cucumber pairs cling to each other without separating even in storms at sea. This is why the famous idiom has been spread among the people.
3/ Identification of Sam and So to Avoid Poisoning
Sam and razor clams have similar shapes. According to health experts, razor clams contain a lot of toxins. The toxins in razor clam eggs can cause paralysis, circulatory failure, respiratory failure, and lead to death.
Here are ways to differentiate sam from razor clams to avoid confusion when buying:
- Sam Characteristics: Sam have a shell-like structure similar to crabs but larger, with a size of about 20 cm, and a flat round body. The abdomen of sam has 8 small flippers and moves very slowly. The tail of a sam have a clear ridge with a sharp tip. Sam usually live in pairs, with one male always accompanying one female.
- Distinguishing Sam from Razor Clams: The first difference is that razor clams travel alone and are smaller than sam. The tail of razor clams does not have a dorsal ridge and is round, not sharp like that of sam. The maximum size of razor clams is about 25 cm, with a weight of less than 1 kg.
4/ Delicious Dishes from Sam
4.1 Proper Preparation of Sam
From the moment sam is caught and brought ashore, they will die after about 3 days. Therefore, sam need to be processed immediately. Many tourists visiting Quang Ninh have missed the chance to taste this extremely rare dish.
To safely and cleanly prepare sam, they must go through many stages. According to many local residents in Ha Long, Quang Ninh, sea cucumbers often eat sam, so their intestines and livers are extremely toxic, posing a danger when consumed. Therefore, you must know how to choose and process sam carefully. Clean sam is only taken from the abdomen and eggs, and great care must be taken not to break the intestines and liver.
After clean processing, sam is cooked into various delicious dishes such as grilled sam cartilage, fried sam, stir-fried sam with vermicelli, stir-fried sam with lemongrass and chili, etc. During cooking, a harmonious combination of spices is essential to bring out the best flavor of sam dishes.
4.2 Dishes Prepared from Sam
Delicious dishes made from sam include grilled sam eggs, sea cucumber salad, sweet and sour stir-fried sam feet, crispy fried sam eggs, stir-fried sam with lemongrass and chili, and deep-fried sam with batter. The common feature of these dishes is their attractive aroma, sweet and rich sea cucumber flavor, blending with other delicious spices. Here are some popular sea cucumber dishes:
- Grilled Sea Cucumber Eggs: This is a unique dish in the list of delicious dishes prepared from sam. To prepare this dish, it is quite elaborate, directly grilling the sam eggs on a coconut shell. Place the sam on the stove, flip it back and forth until the sam is cooked and golden. Then, flip it upside down, remove the entrails, split the abdomen, and take out the golden eggs. Enjoy the hot, fragrant, and delicious grilled sam eggs. Sam eggs provide a lot of nutrients and protein. The meat is sweet, tender, and deliciously appealing, distinguishing it as a specialty of Ha Long.
- Sweet and Sour Stir-Fried Sam Feet: Stir-frying sam feet sweet and sour is a relatively easy dish after sam processing. You just need to cut the feet and thighs of the sea cucumber separately, soak them in hot water to remove the fishy smell. Marinate them with spices such as chili, lemongrass, and ginger for about 10 minutes. While stir-frying sea cucumber feet, don’t forget to add sauces like brown tamarind water, chili sauce, and betel leaves to get the distinctive flavor of this dish. Each sea cucumber dish has its uniqueness; when traveling to Ha Long, don’t forget to fully explore the culinary essence of sea cucumbers!
4.3 Uses of Sam
The delicious sam meat, as well as its skin, is very useful. It can treat colds, flu, and is repellent to both humans and animals. Nowadays, sam is mainly caught for their skin. The sam skin is exported to China. From the sam skin, the Chinese can make finely crafted souvenirs, attracting tourists.
5/ Recommended Restaurants for Delicious Sam in Quang Ninh
With such a delicious specialty, there are, of course, restaurants specializing in serving this type of seafood.
Here are some restaurants with delicious sam dishes:
- Sam Quan. Address: Halong Market, Bach Dang Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh.
- Sam Ba Ty Quan. Address: Alley 6, Cao Thang Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh
- Dung Hoa Restaurant. Address: 95 Lot 5, Hong Hai Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh.
- Sam Co Beo Quan. Address: Lot 15, Zone 8, Ha Tu Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh. (Next to Metro Ha Tu)
- Ngoc Lan Quan. Address: Hau Can Street, Bai Chay Ward, Ha Long City, Quang Ninh.
In addition to exploring famous attractions such as Ha Long Bay, Tuan Chau Island, or Thien Cung Cave, when visiting Ha Long, don’t forget to enjoy local delicacies such as nem chua, nem chao, and especially sea cucumber dishes.
