Among the tastiest foods of Quảng Ninh, the province is known as one of the largest seafood regions in Vietnam, one can’t forget chả mực (squid cake). The food is the correct answer to the question: What is the specialty of Quảng Ninh province?
There are many steps, which require experience and attention to details, to make a good and delicious chả mực
Hạ Long’s chả mực has many unique characteristics compared to chả mực from other places. The reason lies in the most important ingredient to make chả mực, which is Quảng Ninh’s big cuttlefishes with an average weight from 1.5 to 2kg. If people use other types of squid, they can’t achieve the necessary stickiness after pounding squids. The smell and the taste of chả mực made from other types of squid will not be the same either.
After preparing cuttlefishes, workers have to make them dry so the chả mực will have the stickiness in the pounding stage. Depending on the demand, the squids will be ground quickly then pounded. Workers will mix the squid mass after pounding with necessary ingredients like pork fat, onion, garlic, pepper.
Pounding is the most difficult step. It has a relaxing look when you see workers use pounders to pound squids with ease at first. But it is much harder when the squid's mass becomes stickier. Only experienced workers can handle the pounding task.
When the pounding stage is finished, squid mass will be frozen for at least 2 hours. This step ensures that squid mass will hold together and not fall apart. After this step, squid mass will be divided into small pieces, then shaped into round cakes. The cakes will be fried right after the shaping step until they are golden on the outside.
Chả mực will rise in size in the frying step and it will have a very good smell and look when finished
In the plan to develop the tourism industry in Quảng Ninh province, Hạ Long’s chả mực was named as a specialty, which is loved by domestic as well as international tourists.
Chả mực has been recognized as one of the best food in Vietnam by the Vietnam Record Association. Hạ Long’s chả mực is also included in the list of the world’s Top 50 best foods./.
