{"id":3758,"date":"2026-07-13T00:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/news\/con-dao-seafood\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T00:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T15:38:11","slug":"con-dao-seafood","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/vietnam-gift.com\/en\/news\/con-dao-seafood\/","title":{"rendered":"Moon crab and vu nang shellfish: eating Con Dao's rare seafood cheaply at morning markets and fishing villages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many think of C\u00f4n \u0110\u1ea3o, an island off southern Vietnam, as \"an island you go to buy quiet.\" Indeed,Con Dao, ranked No. 1 among the world's hidden islands<\/a>the star is untouched beaches and a national park. But reading a feature on island food put together by the local paper Dan Viet reveals another face of this island. The \u201cmoon crab\u201d with a shell just like a full moon, the \u201cvu nang\u201d sea snails clinging to the rocks, squid sun-dried just once\u2014rare seafood that fetches high prices at urban restaurants is surprisingly affordable at the island\u2019s morning markets and fishing villages. Here we\u2019ve laid out what travelers should target locally, when, and for how much, from the angle of how to buy and how to eat.<\/p>\n

The lineup of \u201ccheap, tasty seafood\u201d the local paper recommends<\/h2>\n

The island specialties the Dan Viet article named include moon crab (cua m\u1eb7t tr\u0103ng), vu nang snail (\u1ed1c v\u00fa n\u00e0ng), one-night-dried squid (m\u1ef1c m\u1ed9t n\u1eafng), red grouper (c\u00e1 m\u00fa \u0111\u1ecf), sea urchin (nhum), and elephant-ear snail (\u1ed1c tai t\u01b0\u1ee3ng). All are a lineup you'd rarely find together in a mainland market\u2014every one raised by the clear waters of Con Dao.<\/p>\n

The island's ingredients get little in the way of processing. One-night-dried squid is just fresh squid, rinsed in water or brine and sun-dried a single time. The idea is to let the ingredient itself do the talking rather than elaborate seasoning, which is exactly why it's worth eating on the island rather than shipping it to the mainland, where freshness fades.<\/p>\n

How to eat moon crab, vu nang clams, and one-night-dried squid<\/h2>\n

The signature is the moon crab. It\u2019s named for the white spots scattered on its shell, which look like the pattern of a full moon. The meat is firm and sweet, packed with red roe (miso). Ways to eat it range widely\u2014stir-fried with salt and chili (rang mu\u1ed1i \u1edbt), stir-fried with tamarind (rang me), steamed in beer, steamed with lemongrass, and congee (ch\u00e1o). Start with ginger-steamed or lemongrass-steamed to taste the sweetness of the meat and roe plainly.<\/p>\n

The vu nang is a sea snail that grows clinging to the island's rocks. Its selling points are a crunchy bite and a fatty sweetness, and grilling with scallion oil (n\u01b0\u1edbng m\u1ee1 h\u00e0nh) is the standard. Fresh off the grill, a plate scented with chopped scallions is an island specialty that keeps the beer flowing. It also transforms into boiled, lemongrass-steamed, and salad (g\u1ecfi) versions. Twenty to thirty come on one plate, so it suits sharing among several people. Overnight-dried squid is lightly seared over charcoal and eaten with lime and salt-and-pepper. The sticky sweetness of the semi-dried center settles nicely as a drinking snack or a souvenir. Red grouper is done soy-steamed, as sashimi, or in hotpot. Its rich white-flesh umami makes it a fish that can headline the island's table.<\/p>\n

Rough price guide (10,000 dong \u2252 60 yen)<\/h2>\n

Here are the going prices we gathered on the island, converted to yen. The conversion uses 10,000 dong \u2252 60 yen. Even for the same item, prices rise and fall with size and season, so take them as ranges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Ingredients<\/th>\nLocal prices<\/th>\nApproximate yen conversion<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Moon crab (cua m\u1eb7t tr\u0103ng)<\/td>\n200,000 to 400,000 dong\/kg<\/td>\nAbout 1,200\u20132,400 yen\/kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vu nang shellfish (\u1ed1c v\u00fa n\u00e0ng), 20 to 30 per plate<\/td>\n150,000\u2013300,000 dong<\/td>\nAbout 900\u20131,800 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Vu nang sea snails grilled with scallion oil (one dish)<\/td>\n80,000 to 150,000 dong<\/td>\nAbout 480\u2013900 yen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
One-night-dried squid (m\u1ef1c m\u1ed9t n\u1eafng)<\/td>\n300,000\u2013400,000 dong per kg<\/td>\nabout 1,800\u20132,400 yen\/kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Red grouper (c\u00e1 m\u00fa \u0111\u1ecf)<\/td>\n700,000\u20131,500,000 dong\/kg<\/td>\nAbout 4,200 to 9,000 yen\/kg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Moon crab runs around 300,000 dong per kg if small (under 300 g) and tops 400,000 dong if large \u2014 the price moves with size. Only red grouper is a high-end fish in a different bracket, but even so, island prices are a bargain compared with ordering it at a Japanese restaurant in the city.<\/p>\n

The full moon is the key to the season\u2014don\u2019t miss the timing<\/h2>\n

The island's seafood isn't available year-round. Pulling together what locals say, the best timing is clear.<\/p>\n