Ha Long hand-made squid paste: A delicacy of Quang Ninh province

'Cha muc' (squid paste) is a delicious dish which has won the favour of both local residents in Ha Long City and tourists. It tops the list of must-try dishes for visitors to Quang Ninh.

The main ingredient to make the dish is big fresh squid caught in Ha Long’s waters, which weigh from 1.5 kilogrammes to 2 kilogrammes each. Other kinds of squid cannot result in squid paste as chewy and tasty as that made from Ha Long squid.

After being cleaned, the squid is seasoned with “secret” spices and hand-pounded until the mixture becomes a fine paste. The paste is then spread on the tray and let freeze for two hours before it is shaped into cookie-like cakes to preserve the intrinsic crunch and chewiness. Finally, the mall flat cakes are deep fried in oil until they turn an even yellow colour on both sides.

According to squid paste producers in Ha Long City, the secret to the distinguish taste of dish is adding a proper amount of sticky rice powder into the mixture, which helps the cakes to be firmer without being friable.

The cook must also keep a close watch on the temperature of the oil during the frying process. If the temperature is too low, the cakes will be scrapped. If it is too high, the cakes will be over cooked and dry. A perfect squid cakes must be well-yellow in its look while juicy on the inside.

Due to the meticulous making process, Ha Long squid paste is considered one of the most famous specialties of Ha Long City and Quang Ninh in general. This dish was voted in the list of Vietnam’s top 50 delicacies by the Vietnam Record Organisation (Vietkings).

Visitors sampling the dish are impressed by its richness and deliciousness, and they all agree that squid past is undoubtedly a signature dish of Quang Ninh.