Hoàng Lan

Apart from famous dishes such as bumalo fish hotpot or sheatfish (catfish) salad, Quảng Bình Province is well known nationwide for its oyster congee (locally known as cháo hàu ) which is a major pull for foodies and guests to this central coastal location.

The scrumptious dish is cooked using live oysters freshly caught in the Nhật Lệ River. Locals believe that the oysters caught from here are much tastier and more savoury compared with any catch from other rivers.

Nguyễn Thị Nhẫn whose family lives on the river bank said the best season to try the oysters, when they are at their tastiest, is in springtime.

But Nhẫn admits that the job of catching the oyster is rather hard work. “In the past, we, including me, my husband and two children have to try hard to haul a net from the river on bank.”

Oyster congee, a specialty of Quảng Bình, wins interests of a lot of foodies. Photo thuexemayquangbinh.com

Nowadays, modern machines have helped locals to reduce their force of hauling the oyster net, she said, noting that during warm sunny days, fishermen often dive deep down to the river bottom to catch quality and fatter oysters to cook the congee.

“My husband often catches some ten kilos of oysters during such these days,” Nhẫn said.

Although it can be a hardship to catch the oysters, cooking them could not be simpler.

The oyster, after being preliminary processed, is fried with different spices such as broth mix, chilli, pepper and others to taste, then topped on a bowl of hot porridge.

“It is more enjoyable if the oyster is then dipped in the famous Phú Quốc fish sauce and fresh aromatic herbs such as coriander,” said Nhẫn.

Oysters in Quảng Bình's Nhật Lệ River are said to be tastier compared with that in other regions. Photo hoctienganhnhanh.vn

Nhẫn told Việt Nam News how to cook the dish:

The most important thing is to choose oysters with an opaque white colour, so they are plump when they have been cooked.

She explained: “The cook should choose a thick oyster and it should be around 10-12 cm long.”

Ingredients: Five to six oysters, 300g of ordinary rice, 100g of sticky rice, one piece each of a dried purple onion and a fresh green onion, coriander, salt, broth mix, cooking oil, sugar, pepper and chilli.

A tasty great bowl of oyster congee is more enjoyable when eaten hot. Photo thuexemayquangbinh.com

Carefully clean the oyster. Soak it in lightly salt water for an hour and let it dry.

Cut the fresh green onion and coriander into pieces while smashing the purple onion to cook it on a pan with cooking oil. Then fry the oysters with the spices, fish sauce and the other ingredients until they give off a pleasant savoury smell. It is then topped on a bowl of hot congee. 

“The oyster congee should be eaten in hot to avoid it having any overly fishy taste,” Nhẫn said.

Guests and visitors to Quảng Bình were so impressed of the Nhật Lệ River's natural beauty, particularly at night. Photo baoquangbinh.vn

A friend of mine named Trần Thu Nga, whose family recently visited Quảng Bình, said she likes the oyster congee very much.

“I was very surprised when seeing half of the bowl was oysters and the other half is the congee. The dish is lovely and buttery and savoury from the oysters mixed with fragrant spice and herbs, creating a unique flavour that gourmets like me will never forget,” Nga said.

Eating Quảng Bình oyster congee was chosen by Nga’s family members during their stay in the province she explained: “Because enjoying a bowl of hot oyster congee during a winter day is a great experience for us.”  VNS

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In the box:

 Top scrumptious oyster congee addresses in Quảng Bình:

•    Cháo Hàu Cô Mai, at Quang Trung Road, Quán Hàu 

•    Thanh Hương shop, at 26 Trương Văn Ly Road, Quán Hàu 

•    Cháo Hàu Bảo Phúc, at Trương Pháp Road, Quang Phú Ward, Đồng Hới city

•    Shop 126 at 126 Lê Thành Đồng Street, Hải Thành Ward,  Đồng Hới city

•    Miss Ngạnh Oyster congee at 18 Hoàng Diệu, Đồng Hới city

•    Nghệ Tám Restaurant, at Sub-zone 5,  Quán Hàu, Quảng Ninh District