Setting foot on the jade island of Cat Ba, you will be enchanted not only by the majestic scenery but also by the rich culinary treasure. What are Cat Ba's specialties that makes tourists from all over come here to enjoy? From fresh seafood dishes like tu hai - the 'king of seafood', rare sam bien, to products imbued with the essence of the mountains and forests such as forest honey, rose myrtle wine... Each flavor tells its own story about this sacred land. Let's explore the 13 most outstanding specialties of Cat Ba, where the sea blends with the mountains and forests to create unforgettable culinary experiences!

1. Tu hai - The exclusive 'King of seafood' of Cat Ba

Razor clam - A precious, nutritious seafood dish (Photo: collected)

 

Speaking of What are the specialties of Cat Ba , one cannot fail to mention the razor clam - a rare mollusk species that only lives in the clear blue waters around the island. Razor clam meat is off-white; when enjoyed, you will feel its characteristic chewy and crispy texture along with the sweet, clear taste of the sea.

What makes Cat Ba razor clams unique is their ideal living environment - deep, clear, and nutrient-rich waters. Therefore, the razor clam meat here is of superior quality compared to many other coastal areas.

Local people often prepare razor clams in many attractive ways: steamed with ginger to preserve their natural sweetness, stir-fried with garlic and butter for a fragrant aroma, or even eaten raw with wasabi to fully experience their fresh, delicious flavor.

Best time to enjoy: From September to March of the following year, when the weather is cool and the seawater is clearest.

Suggested places to enjoy delicious razor clams:

• Quang Tung Restaurant (250 1/4 Street): Famous for its steamed razor clam with ginger, always selecting high-quality, live razor clams

• Phuong Phuong Restaurant (232 1/4 Street): Loved for its fragrant stir-fried razor clam with garlic and butter

• Vien Duong Restaurant (12 Nui Ngoc): Specializes in serving raw razor clams with rich dipping sauce

2. Mantis Shrimp - Rich sea flavor in every bite

Cat Ba mantis shrimp possess impressive size and firmer, sweeter meat than mantis shrimp from many other coastal areas. This crustacean has a characteristic dark brown, hard shell, and large, strong claws.

When enjoyed, you will experience the translucent white meat with a chewy, crispy texture and a rich, oceanic sweetness. This is what makes Cat Ba mantis shrimp one of the most worthwhile answers to What are the specialties of Cat Ba worth trying.

Mantis Shrimp - A Delicious and Attractive Dish (Photo: collected)

 

The most popular preparation method is steamed mantis shrimp with beer to preserve its natural flavor. Sweet and sour tamarind stir-fried mantis shrimp is also an equally attractive option. Some restaurants even get creative with grilled mantis shrimp with chili salt, creating a crispy and fragrant crust on the outside.

Where to enjoy quality mantis shrimp:

• Phuong Phuong Restaurant (No. 232, 1/4 Street): The steamed mantis shrimp with beer is always highly rated by customers

• Vu Duong Restaurant (No. 250, 1/4 Street): Noted for its unique sweet and sour tamarind stir-fried mantis shrimp

• Hai Yen Restaurant (No. 196, Nui Ngoc Street): Specializing in distinctive grilled mantis shrimp with chili salt

3. Grouper - High-class seafood from deep coral reefs

Cat Ba Grouper is caught from deep coral reefs around the island, where there is an ideal clear blue water environment. This fish has white, firm, and exceptionally sweet flesh, favored by many high-class restaurants.

When enjoying Cat Ba Grouper, you will experience its natural freshness without needing too many complex spices. This is why grouper has become one of the most beloved specialties.

Steamed grouper with ginger (Photo: sourced)

Grouper steamed with sauce is a traditional preparation method that helps retain the natural sweetness of the fish. Grouper cooked in spicy and sour hot pot is also a popular choice, especially suitable for cozy family meals.

Suggestions for the best places to enjoy grouper in Cat Ba:

• Green Mango Restaurant (No. 256, 1/4 Street): Specializes in grouper steamed with sauce using traditional recipes

• Huong Bien Restaurant (No. 223, Nui Ngoc Street): Famous for its rich and flavorful spicy and sour grouper hot pot

4. Cat Hai Fish Sauce - Essence of the sea's cuisine

Cat Hai Fish Sauce is produced from the freshest anchovies from the Cat Ba sea area, through a traditional fermentation process lasting 12-18 months. The product has a clear amber-brown color, a characteristic aroma, and a perfectly balanced salty taste.

Cat Hai Fish Sauce (Photo: collected)

Anchovies are lightly dried before being layered with sea salt in large wooden barrels. The ratio of fish to salt is carefully calculated to create a moderate saltiness. Then, the mixture is aged in natural conditions, without preservatives or colorings. This is one of the perfect products to answer the question What specialties does Cat Ba have that can be brought back as gifts.

Suggestion for a reputable place to buy: Cat Hai Aquatic Product Processing and Service Joint Stock Company at number 178, 1/4 Street - a place that produces fish sauce with a transparent process and verified quality.

5. One-day Sun-dried Mackerel - A Rustic Gift Full of Flavor

One-day sun-dried mackerel is a unique product of Cat Ba fishermen, processed using the traditional method of sun-drying for just one day. Unlike ordinary dried fish, one-day sun-dried mackerel retains moderate moisture and natural sweetness.

The dry, breezy weather of Cat Ba helps the fish cook evenly and have an attractive yellow color. When enjoying, you will feel the rich flavor, but not dry and tough like regular dried fish.

Delicious dried bonito in Cat Ba (Photo: sourced)

 

Quality purchase address: Cat Ba Market on Nui Ngoc street and seafood shops along Nui Ngoc street offer fresh and delicious products at reasonable prices.

6. Cat Ba Shrimp Noodle Soup - A breakfast dish rich in sea flavor

Cat Ba shrimp noodle soup is completely different from Hanoi shrimp noodle soup or other regions. Instead of using freshwater shrimp, Cat Ba shrimp noodle soup uses fresh sea shrimp that are large in size and have a rich sweet taste.

The crab cakes in Cat Ba shrimp noodle soup are also made from fresh sea crab, creating a characteristic sweet and clear flavor. This is what makes shrimp noodle soup one of the most beloved breakfast dishes when tourists explore what specialties Cat Ba has .

Enjoy rich seafood-flavored shrimp vermicelli (Photo: source)

 

Where to enjoy: Ba Cu Shrimp Vermicelli Shop at 183 Nui Ngoc street - the oldest and most famous address. The shop opens from 6 AM and usually sells out before 10 AM due to the large number of customers.

7. Cat Ba Squid - A must-not-miss seafood specialty

Cat Ba Squid is caught from the deep seas around the island, where food sources are abundant. This type of squid has firm, sweet flesh and is less fishy compared to farmed squid or squid from other seas.

Cat Ba Dried Squid (Photo: collected)

Cat Ba squid has transparent skin, white flesh that is not yellow or fishy. When processed, the squid meat retains its natural crispness and chewiness and has a rich sweet taste. Cat Ba dried squid is also highly regarded for its natural drying process.

Quality purchase address: Cat Ba Market on Nui Ngoc street sells fresh live squid from 5 AM when fishing boats return to the pier. Seafood stores along 1/4 street offer both fresh and high-quality dried squid.

8. Cat Ba Forest Honey - Essence from the biosphere reserve

Cat Ba forest honey is harvested from wild beehives in Cat Ba National Park, which has diverse flora with many rare wild flower species. The product has a deep yellow color, a strong aroma, and a characteristic mild sweetness.

Cat Ba forest honey (Photo: collected)

 

Real Cat Ba forest honey is viscous, not too liquid, and when dropped into water, it sinks to the bottom before dissolving. The color ranges from dark yellow to light brown depending on the type of flower the honey is extracted from.

This is one of the most special products when learning about what specialties Cat Ba has which has high nutritional value.

Reputable purchase address: Production facilities within Cat Ba National Park sell directly with certificates of origin and local specialty stores in Cat Ba town.

9. Cat Ba sea crab - The natural sweetness of the ocean

Cat Ba sea crab lives in a clear, salty water environment, eating small shrimp and seaweed, so it has a special natural sweetness. The crab meat is ivory white, firm, and sweeter than freshwater crab.

From September to February next year is the best season for Cat Ba sea crab. At this time, the crab is meaty, especially female crabs are full of roe. Male crabs have larger claws and more meat at the end of the year.

10. Green crab - Specialty of the Cat Ba sea area

Cat Ba green crab is larger than regular crabs, has a characteristic hard green shell, and strong claws. The crab meat is rich in sweetness and less fishy than other types of crabs.

Cat Ba green crab has a thicker and harder shell, firmer and sweeter meat than brackish water crabs. Especially, female crabs have very delicious and nutritious orange-red roe.

Green crab Cat Ba (Photo: collected)

 

Fresh live crabs have a shiny shell, bright black eyes, and move nimbly. When holding a crab, it feels heavy and firm.

Address to enjoy: Bien Xanh Restaurant at 198 Nui Ngoc Street is famous for its steamed green crab with ginger and salt-roasted crab.

11. Myrtle wine - A characteristic drink of Cat Ba

Cat Ba myrtle wine is steeped from ripe red myrtle berries picked in the wild, with a beautiful purplish-red color and a gently sweet flavor. This is a traditional drink of the local people, often consumed during holidays and Tet.

Cat Ba myrtle berries are small in size but rich in flavor, containing many vitamins and natural antioxidants. The steeped myrtle wine has a moderate alcohol content, is easy to drink, and is nutritious.

Where to buy: Cat Ba regional specialties store at 203 April 1/4 Street offers pure myrtle wine with clear origins.

12. Cat Ba lobster - "King" of lobsters

Cat Ba lobsters are raised in sea cages around the island, where the water is clear and oxygen-rich. These lobsters are large, with firm, exceptionally sweet flesh, considered the "king" of lobsters.

Lobster meat is translucent white, turning a striking orange-red when cooked. The natural sweetness of Cat Ba lobster is very rich, often prepared grilled, steamed, or as sashimi.

Address to enjoy quality lobster:

• Cat Ba Seafood Restaurant (216 April 1/4 Street): Specializes in lobster grilled with cheese and steamed lobster with ginger

• Huong Bien Restaurant (223 Nui Ngoc Street): Famous for its fresh lobster sashimi

13. Sá sùng - The "Cordyceps" of Cat Ba sea

Sá sùng is a rare sea worm, nicknamed the "sea's Cordyceps" due to its high nutritional value. They live in sandy mud at depths of 10-15m around the waters of Cat Ba.

Sá sùng contains high levels of protein, many essential amino acids, and precious minerals. In traditional medicine, sá sùng is considered a nutritious food, good for health and boosting immunity.

Where to buy: Cat Ba Market on Nui Ngoc Street sells fresh sá sùng early in the morning when fishing boats return to shore. The price of sá sùng is quite high due to its scarcity and difficulty in harvesting.

 

After a satisfying culinary exploration, let the "Green Island Symphony" jetski show complete your experience. Lively, spectacular, and full of ocean inspiration - this special show is becoming an unmissable entertainment highlight on the pearl island.

 

Cat Ba is truly a seafood island culinary paradise with 13 diverse specialties, from fresh seafood to rare forest products. Each dish carries the distinct cultural imprint and unique flavor of this land.

Save this list now and come to Cat Ba to fully experience a memorable culinary journey. Surely, you will find the perfect answer to What specialties does Cat Ba have? and bring back unforgettable culinary memories!