The Huynh De sea crab

Huynh De sea crab is very rare and expensive, because it's very meaty and sweet. It has a special shape like a small turtle, with its head, shell and body connected together.

Nha Trang Khanh Hoa has been famous for years for its fresh, delicious and reasonably priced seafood; but sea crab is perhaps the most highly-rated.

Compared to other seafoods, sea crab contains the most nutritional value. Huynh De sea crab is very rare and expensive, because it's very meaty and sweet. It has a special shape like a small turtle, with its head, shell and body connected together. Other crabs in the area are also delicious and meaty, but prices are much lower. There are dozens of ways to cook sea crabs, such as crab soup, fried crab soaked with flour, steamed crab in beer, roasted crab with salt, crab with chopped meat, boiled crab, etc. Of these, boiled crab and roasted crab with salt are the most popular in town. Simply cooked without marinating, boiled crab is delicious alone. Its natural flavour can bewitch the most gastronomic snobs! What a delight to be handed a big hot boiled crab,

split its scarlet shell to tear off pieces of succulent white meat, and one by one dip them into a mixture of pepper, salt and lemon. Simple, but oh so appetising!

More salty and spicy, try a dish of roasted crab with salt. The dish requires a little more effort in the cooking method than boiled crab, but the taste is unforgettable and mouthwatering. After cleaning, the crab is chopped, marinated with spices (salt, fish sauce, pepper, etc.) and then deep­fried. However, don't think that the spices can erase the natural taste of crab; this specialty is spicy and salty but the ocean taste still lingers. You're liable to get hooked on this dish, if you return again to Nha Trang.

Don't worry about getting your hands messy when eating crab, because afterwards, a special type of hand-washing solution (made with tea and slices of lemon) is made available to clean your hands and wipe away the smell of crab. Just remember that it's not for drinking!