Ca Mau crabs are one of the most expensive shellfish varieties being sold in Vietnam. You can now find these types of crabs being sold in Saigon’s streets at a very affordable price.
But, is there a ‘catch’? Continue reading, and we will tell you more.
Most of the main roads in Ho Chi Minh City, specifically in the Binh Chanh District, Thu Duc District, District 12, District 2, District 9, became a common ground to spot the Ca Mau crabs on sale.
You can now find them cheaply being sold on the sidewalks. Pedestrians have seen the heaps of large crabs being sold by different numerous street vendors, which would really be to ignore. They have to look back and ask about it—looking forward to carrying a bundle.
You have to be aware that the price of 50,000 VND (US$2.15) for a bundle of three crabs being sold is just a way for the sellers to catch people’s attention. The market price of the Ca Mau crabs will cost you roughly between 300.000-500.000VND/kg (Between $13-$22)
Moving around HCMC, you’ll also find the crabs being sold at the same price in some of the areas in Highway 13, Thu Duc district. When vendors are asked by curious customers, they would point to the box where the ‘tiny little crabs’ are.
Yet those larger ones poured out on plastic sheets are sold by weight, from 120,000-150,000 VND/kg. ($5-$6.5).
Hence, most of the customers left disappointed without being able to buy any.
In an area in District 2, it was observed that,
Several customers are hesitating to buy because they were worried about the crab’s quality; the seller almost instantly will tell the customer, “Buy it, we guarantee the quality.”
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam specializing in supplying Ca Mau crabs in Nha Be district, confirmed that the crabs being sold in the streets are not authentic Ca Mau crabs. He stated that,
“I can know it at first glance, because Ca Mau crab is dark, even covered with moss, firm, heavy. And the roadside crab is white/bright, clear, soft, full of water, the only shell with very little meat yet poor texture”.
As cited by Mr. Lam, crabs sold on the roadside are mostly farmed in Can Gio district (HCMC) and Ba Ria – Vung Tau province.
On the flip side, Mr. Tien, a seafood trader in District 8, stated that the crabs sold on the streets are mostly crabs discharged from traders with relatively cheap prices, only about 100,000 VND/kg. (US$4.30). He mentioned that,
“They can make profits from reselling to the market for 120,000-150,000 VND/kg ($5-$6.45). The small crabs sold in bulk of 3 are even cheaper, only a few ten thousand VND/kg, then selling at 50,000 VND ($2.15) for three pieces is profitable enough.”
As claimed by one of the seafood restaurant owner in HCMC, aside from the crabs being sold on the streets, there is also a source of crabs that doesn’t have a lot of meat. This source sold off at a few ten thousand VND/kg, and only a few people would dare to buy them. Just be careful as only street sellers would take them and ‘promote’ them as Ca Mau crabs to increase their sales.
