Ca Mau crabs taste very different from the farm-bred variety. These crabs thrive in a mangrove ecosystem with an abundant food source, making their meat firm, delicious and flavorful. They are boiled, stewed, steamed, grilled or roasted with tamarind for an array of delicious dishes. The mudskipper, which locals say resembles a frog, is another specialty of Ca Mau. The fish live in swampy conditions, can cling to mangrove trunks and is virtually amphibious. It is grilled with salt, fried or used as the main ingredient in a sour soup. It also makes for a great stew. The horn shell, also known as the mud creeper, are commonly found in mangrove forests. These are found on tree trunks, feeding on algae or organic detritus. To get rid of the slime on its shell, it must be soaked in rice water for one to two hours before being stirred with oil. When the meat is cooked, its red color turns into an eye-catching turquoise color. The chefs often cut off the tail so visitors can … [Read more...] about In southernmost Vietnam, mangrove forests foster a special cuisine
Beat ao moi ca mau
Mekong Delta province issues emergency warning over coastal erosion
A 350m-long section of an embankment on the western coast in the southernmost province’s Tran Van Thoi District was eroded following heavy rains, strong winds, waves and high tides over the last few days, said To Quoc Nam, deputy chief of the province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The rains and winds also caused 91 houses in Ca Mau to collapse and damaged 470 others. High tides last Saturday also flooded over 1,800 houses and total property damage is estimated at over VND28 billion ($1.2 million). "The eroded section has been repaired, securing the lives and properties for tens of thousands of families," Nam said, adding that about 100 people have been deployed to monitor the bank round the clock. Ca Mau Chairman Nguyen Tien Hai said they were worried about further damage if the weather doesn’t improve in the coming days, as over two kilometers of the embankment was still vulnerable to erosion and collapse. The western coast embankment in Ca Mau … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta province issues emergency warning over coastal erosion
Construction of four expressways likely to be advanced
In a plan on developing the expressway network it has submitted to the government for approval, construction of the four, originally scheduled for after 2030, has been brought forward to before 2030. They are the Tra Linh-Dong Dang, Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc, Ninh Binh-Hai Phong-Quang Ninh, and Ha Tien-Rach Gia-Ca Mau expressways. The 247-kilometer (153-mile) Soc Trang-Can Tho-Chau Doc Expressway, to cost VND35.55 trillion ($1.54 billion), will run from the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang to Chau Doc Town near the Cambodian border. The Ha Tien-Rach Gia-Ca Mau Expressway will cost VND35.83 trillion ($1.55 billion) and run 225 kilometers from Ha Tien Town near the Cambodian border to the southernmost province of Ca Mau. It is considered a strategic transport corridor that would promote cross-border trade and help the economic development of countries in the Mekong sub-region. The VND23.72-trillion ($1.02 billion) Dong Dang-Tra Linh Expressway will run 149 kilometers along the Chinese … [Read more...] about Construction of four expressways likely to be advanced
Mekong Delta tourism charm waning
Nguyen Huu Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association, said the region's tourism remains undeveloped. The delta, which includes Can Tho City and 12 provinces, attracted 3.4 million foreign visitors in 2018, a modest figure compared to the potential. Less than half stayed overnight, according to the association. Many travel agencies only use the region as an adjunct to their itinerary for international visitors, which centers on Ho Chi Minh City. Nguyen Quoc Ky, General Director of Viettravel, a leading travel company, said the delta does not have a developed port while its four airports at Can Tho, Rach Gia, Ca Mau, and Phu Quoc have yet to become transport hubs for the region. International visitors usually fly into HCMC and travel to the delta by road, but the highway network is not good enough to help tourism flourish, Ky said at the recent Mekong Delta Tourism Development Forum held in Can Tho. Vo Anh Tai, Deputy General Director of another travel giant Saigontourist, … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta tourism charm waning
70 held for drug abuse in southern Vietnam karaoke parlor
Acting on complaints that the karaoke parlor run by MTV Young Music Company in Ben Luc Town was opening past midnight, dozens of police officers raided the facility and caught 70 customers high on drugs. The officers found many plastic bags containing white crystals looking like meth on the tables and several implements used to administer drugs. A quick test showed 70 people tested positive for drugs and were taken to local police station pending further investigation. While heroin has been the traditional hard-core drug used in Veitnam, synthetic drugs like methamphetamine have become more popular among young partygoers in recent years. Vietnamese police have recently intensified their crackdown on drug abuse at nightclubs and karaoke parlors across the country. Eighty people tested positive for banned substances in a bar police raided in the central city of Da Nang last week while their Ca Mau counterparts found 96 customers using banned drugs in a karaoke parlor … [Read more...] about 70 held for drug abuse in southern Vietnam karaoke parlor