Quảng Ngãi cuisine is known for don, a small bivalve used in several rustic dishes that are rich in the flavor of the homeland. Photo ngocthachtravel.com

QUẢNG NGÃI — One of the first questions that comes to my mind when visiting a new destination is: “What is the best local dish, and where can I find it?”

When I raised that question in a travel group before my trip to Quảng Ngãi Province, I received a variety of answers, but the one that came up most often was don.

According to Google, don is a small mollusc belonging to the clam family and found in brackish water. It has a thin, diamond-shaped bivalve shell that is greenish-gray or dark yellow in colour, and measures approximately 2cm.

The specialty ingredient is difficult if not impossible to find elsewhere in Việt Nam, and is a must-try for diners in the central province because of its reputation.

At the end of the Trà and Vệ rivers, before the water merges into the ocean, there is an estuary where fresh river water meets seawater. This area is where the famous mollusc species developed and continues to live to this day.

Don is harvested from May to September in the Trà and Vệ river estuaries. Photo vinpearl.com

Don is only available in this part of the dry season, around May to September, when local farmers rush to the rivers and spend hours submerged in the water to collect them.

Once brought ashore, don are scrubbed clean and soaked to remove sand, then boiled until their shells begin to open.

The tiny meat is separated from the shells, rinsed thoroughly and prepared for cooking. The broth released by the molluscs is naturally savoury, without the need for heavy seasoning, and is considered the soul of the dish.

Don is a type of clam that inhabits brackish waters and estuaries in Quảng Ngãi Province. Photo dantri.vn

"Don is a highly delicate ingredient. Freshly harvested don must be boiled immediately to retain its delicacy. If frozen don is used, the meat becomes bland and loses its natural sweetness," said Châu Trâm, a restaurant owner.

"The most challenging step is rinsing out the sand; without a practiced hand, it is easy to leave grit behind, and even a small amount of sand or a single spoiled don can ruin the entire pot of broth."

At her establishments, and in many others in Quảng Ngãi, processed don are usually prepared in two ways: as a soup or in a stir fry. It can also be cooked into rice congee for a healthy snack.

A bowl of don is affordable for most diners. Photo dantri.vn

For the soup, the don meat is placed in a bowl with thinly sliced ​​onions and scallions, then topped with piping hot broth. It is enjoyed with crispy grilled or baked rice crackers.

The rice cracker gradually melts after being soaked in the broth. Diners can use either a spoon to enjoy the dish, or break the rice cracker into small pieces to absorb the broth or use it to scoop out the don.

For most, the crispy cracker provides a nice contrast in texture to the soup, and mixes well with the sweetness of the broth. Many diners also add a little spiciness with fresh red or green chillis, all of the ingredients blending together to awaken the taste buds.

Meanwhile, the stir-fried don dish requires the fresh mollusc meat to be quickly sautéed over high heat with onions, Vietnamese coriander, pepper and chilli.

Crucially, the preparation avoids fried shallots or excessive oil, ensuring the meat retains its signature firm texture and rich, authentic flavour without becoming greasy or mushy.

Stir-fried don is a favourite dish in many restaurants in Quảng Ngãi. Photo vietnamtourism.com.vn

Don congee is also delicious thanks to its naturally sweet and savoury flavour. The rice congee should be cooked until tender, then sprinkled with fried onions and scallions for an unforgettable rustic taste.

"Fresh clams, oysters and mussels — and especially don — are high on the list of favourite foods for many gastronomes. Most of my diners, especially tourists, order all of the don dishes for their meals to enjoy our specialty in a variety of ways," said Trâm.

A rustic dish that is good enough to make anyone who eats it once remember it forever. Photo dantri.vn

She said that for generations in Quảng Ngãi, don has been eaten as a rustic and affordable dish for anyone to enjoy, ranging in price from VNĐ25,000 to VNĐ120,000. For residents, it is not only a snack, but also a specialty, a part of their memory and their homeland.

Meanwhile, tourists also love the dish for its distinctive and delicious taste and its seasonal availability, especially after it was named one of Việt Nam's top 100 specialties by the Việt Nam Records Organisation (Vietkings) in 2020.

Tourists can easily find don dishes in every corner of Quảng Ngãi during the season. Among the many eateries, Don Cổ Lũy, Bà Cẩm and Cô Vân are longstanding and well-known addresses where diners can taste the traditional flavour of don for themselves. — VNS