Canh said, the hotter the weather, the more expensive the crabs are. This is a cooling food, can cook many dishes from vermicelli, soup to hot pot. Not to mention, on this occasion, the restaurant is closed, families cook at home more. Therefore, for about a week now, the number of customers ordering crabs online has increased dramatically when Hanoi is experiencing scorching hot days. The price of copper crab is only 130,000 VND/kg, not increasing, but the amount of goods sold every day has increased sharply, she shared. At the beginning of the summer, she only sold about 50-60kg per day. Customers can buy raw crab, shredded crab or pre-ground crab. But these days, the amount of crabs sold fluctuates in the range of 1-1.5 quintals. At the peak like yesterday, 1.8 quintals of crabs were all ordered by customers. Hot weather, people race to order crabs to eat to cool off (photo: Thuy Dang) “I only sell online, but on this occasion customers flocked to order. If you buy less, 1kg, if you buy more, 2-3kg each time to eat gradually and also to save money on shipping,” she said. Most customers choose to buy ready-made crab (with the shell and bibs removed) or pre-ground crab because it’s convenient, so she has to mobilize her parents and her two children to make crabs in time for the shippers to deliver the goods. guest. “Every day I have to work from 4 am until all the crabs are sold out. Fortunately, in exchange for profits, you can earn up to several million dong/day,” she revealed. Ms. Dang Thuy – a focal point specializing in selling crabs online at lane 214 Nguyen Xien (Thanh Xuan, Hanoi), also said that before summer, she only consumed about 12-20kg of field crabs every day. But from the beginning of May until now, she has sold out 40-50kg every day, even up to 60kg of field crab every day. These days, customers often prefer to buy ready-made or pre-ground crabs for processing (photo: Thuy Dang) According to Ms. Thuy, many people are afraid to make crab because it takes a long time, so they choose to order pre-ground. Accordingly, after grinding crabs, she often divides them into small bags for customers to put in the freezer. Each meal takes 1-2 bags to cook, depending on how many or fewer people in the family. The price of raw or pre-ground crab is the same, 120,000 VND/kg. “On this occasion, when the sun is hot, people are afraid to go to the market. Due to the epidemic, they also limited going to crowded places, so the number of customers ordering online increased sharply,” she said. Ms. Hoang Thien Tam from Yen Ninh (Ba Dinh, Hanoi), shared that in the summer, field crabs are her family’s favorite cooling dish. Early in the summer, the weather was not too hot, she still worked hard to go to the market to choose each field crab and ask the seller to grind it for her. The number of crabs bought each time is only about 1kg, just enough to cook a meal. About a week ago, the heat was like fire, she switched to ordering online because she was afraid to squeeze her feet into the market. The amount of crab sold out increased 3-5 times compared to the time before summer (photo: Thuy Dang) “Today I also ordered 5kg of field crabs, thanks to them pre-ground in plastic bags. Crab bricks are also divided into small bags for easy cooking of each meal. She said and said, now that many orders, she also gets free shipping by the owner. On the market today, the price of copper crab usually ranges from 120,000-180,000 VND/kg, depending on the type. In many places, when customers require preliminary processing and ready to go, they often have to pay an additional 10,000-15,000 VND/kg. Small traders selling field crabs at traditional markets said that these days, the amount of crabs consumed has nearly doubled compared to before summer. As for online traders, it was revealed that the number of crabs sold increased 3-5 times compared to other seasons of the year. In hot weather, people are often afraid to go to the market, so they often choose to order online for convenience.

Food of field crabs must be fresh, not stale, moldy. Need to feed the field crabs enough, if the crabs lack food, it is easy to eat each other. Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Yen Tho commune, Dong Trieu district, Quang Ninh province harvests field crabs from her family’s farm. In ponds and fields, it is necessary to arrange a number of eating floors to assess the crab’s catching status, and at the same time to adjust the amount of food according to weather conditions. In the last months of the crab farming cycle, it is necessary to add more animal food in the diet to make the crabs grow fast and firm. It is possible to add more field tilapia and tilapia to eat crab leftovers, reducing water pollution. Field crab is the type that adapts to cool weather, so it is necessary to alternately plant water spinach, rice, and cash crops to keep the crabs’ shade in the summer. The water environment also needs to be kept clean and regularly change the source of water in and out to stimulate crabs to molt and catch strong prey. “Investment capital for crab farming is very low, mainly hiring workers to dig ponds, buy corrugated iron and bamboo poles to enclose the embankment. Currently, every day, my family earns about 3-4kg, selling 150,000 VND/kg ‘, Ms. Huong revealed. Through research, seeing that field crabs are popular with many people, taking advantage of low-lying rice fields for low productivity, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong studied and brought back field crabs to release on her field. Because field crabs have no place to produce seed, they have to buy from people who go wild. Ms. Huong said: “At first, I bought crab seed from traders from Hai Duong to release, but each release the number of dead crabs was up to 70%. After a few dead crabs, I learned from experience that if I want to have a high survival rate and grow up quickly, I have to buy native breeds…” “In addition to raising commercial crabs, I also zoned the field and selected some adult crabs to breed separately. Here I will invest in buying brick holes to build banks, planting many layers of concrete pillars, with The purpose is to let the crabs live in, creating a favorable environment for the crabs to grow and develop better”, Ms. Huong added. Talking to us, Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, Chairwoman of the Farmers’ Association of Yen Tho Commune (Dong Trieu Town, Quang Ninh Province) said: “Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong’s model of field crab farming has brought high economic efficiency. . From the initial results, in the coming time, the Commune Farmers’ Union will direct the grassroots branches, exchange experiences, and mobilize people in the commune to replicate this model. Especially, taking advantage of low-lying areas and inefficient rice-growing areas to develop commercial crab farming models, contributing to increasing income and improving the lives of members and people.

Hanoi has just entered the beginning of summer, but at traditional markets and online markets, field crabs have become a popular food for many people. Photo: Vietnamese people In addition to whole fresh field crabs sold at markets for 150-180,000 VND/kg, on the online market there are also ready-made ground crabs for sale at half or even 1/3 of the price. fresh crab. Photo: Facebook. Each kg of pre-ground crab includes 1 bag of crushed crab meat and 1 bag of crab bricks, priced from 60,000 – 80,000 VND/kg. Photo: Facebook With such a startling low price, many people suspect that this type of pre-ground frozen crab may be Western crab or imported from Cambodia and Thailand. Photo: Facebook Not only pre-ground copper crab, recently Norwegian brown crab (Norwegian brick crab) is also for sale on the online market for only 290-350,000 VND/kg, half the price of Ca Mau brick crab. Photo: Facebook Norwegian brown crab, which is considered a high-class seafood line in the world, is sold at a cheap price, so housewives buy it and eat it. Photo: Facebook However, according to the owner of a high-end seafood store in Hanoi, the best quality crab must be fresh crab, so most reputable seafood supermarkets do not sell frozen imports. Photo: Facebook Norwegian brick crab is a high-class, world-famous seafood that is sold in large quantities in Vietnam at such a cheap price. Photo: Facebook Last year, on many gateway streets of Ho Chi Minh City, there were many points of sale of Ca Mau crabs on the roadside with only 50,000 VND/3 crabs. Photo: Workers However, in fact, the price of 50,000 VND for 3 crabs that the seller offers is just a way for them to attract passersby. When asking to buy, the seller pointed to the tiny crabs. Photo: Plo However, in fact, the price of 50,000 VND for 3 crabs that the seller offers is just a way for them to attract passersby. When asking to buy, the seller pointed to the tiny crabs. Photo: Plo Video: Going to the market to buy field crabs in the West. Source: VTV24

The poor forest in Hung Hoa commune has an area of ​​about 63 ha, stretching from the end of Hoa Lam hamlet (old) to Chin sluice gate on the side of the road along Lam River. In addition to the function of protecting dykes against mangrove and erosion, Hung Hoa poor forest is also a rich forest with ecological diversity, home to many kinds of delicious wild seafood such as fish, shrimp, plant, … Taking advantage of the low tide every day, people in suburban Vinh communes such as Hung Hoa, Hung Loc …, of which the majority are children from 10 to 15 years old, often gather in groups to hunt for plows and trees. decent income every day. The civet is quite similar to crab, also has 8 legs 2 claws, but the stem has flowers and hairy legs, or lives in brackish water. The plowing season usually starts from April to September each year. Taking advantage of the time off school, the kids in Vinh city go hunting for plows. A characteristic of the civet is that the bigger the sun is, the more the cow can find food … But catching up is not easy either, because they are very fast, if they are motivated, they run away. Therefore, the hunter must also be quick to catch. Nguyen Thi Trang (Hung Hoa commune) said: “Taking advantage of the time off school, I and my friends go through the mud to hunt for plowshares. The timing of hunting for plows is usually not fixed because it depends on the tide of up and down, due to the muddy wading, so when hunting, you must prepare enough boots, protective gloves, when wading in mud, you must be careful ” On average, each day, children like Trang can catch 2 – 3kg of cotton, selling for 70,000 – 80,000 VND / kg. Cay is one of the very popular specialties that can be processed into many delicious dishes. The joy of “anglers” when hunting plows.

Hien said that these were completely fresh rock crabs that her family members moved from her hometown in Nam Dinh to Hanoi for weekly sales. These crabs are carefully selected by her family members from her hometown, filtered and cleaned and then canned. Each box is usually packed 2.5 ounces. This small trader also advertised: “Although this is a cultured stone crab, the house was cleaned, separated from shells, split bibs, star fruit bags, especially no additives, no preservatives, no mixing with rice bran and self. canned grinds should eat well and lots of meat and bricks are delicious. Each 1 kg of rock crabs my family sells for 75,000 VND, divided into 4 boxes. Each box includes 1 bag of crab bricks. If you eat 2 kg of crab or more, you will ship for free ”. The field crabs are torn, washed and ground right at the market Ms. Hien also affirmed that the crabs are very delicious and can be kept in the freezer for 12 months. When eaten, the quality is no different from raw ground crab. “Frozen ground crab is easy to process, convenient and has a stable price. This type of crab can help housewives process many delicious dishes such as crab soup cooked in a hot pot or cooked with a variety of vegetables depending on the season and preferences of each family ”. According to her, customers who buy frozen crabs are mainly housewives in the city. They usually order at least 1kg to cook a crab dish on rice or eat with vermicelli, with thinly molded cakes. Along with rock crabs she sells frozen field crabs, up to tens of kilograms per day. On hot hot days, the number of sales she sells is 3 times higher than normal days and she does not sell crabs. Explaining why the price of crab is at least half cheaper than the market, Ms. Hien explained: “Crab is collected from farmers in the countryside, and my family does not have live crabs available. Besides the crab season, there is an outbreak of Covid-19, so it is cheap. Like last year, we have to sell ready-made crabs of 100,000 VND / kg ”. However, many small traders on the internet market sell frozen rock crabs, pre-ground frozen field crabs at low prices, startling However, according to a reporter survey, the price of pre-ground copper crabs is for sale online at a price that is 1/2 to 2/3 cheaper than the actual selling price in toad markets. For example, at Ha Dong toad markets, Tan Da market, Vo market, Van Phuc market (Ha Dong, Hanoi) on May 9, the price of 1kg of live crab is sold at 170,000-190,000 VND. At wholesale market 365, live crab with the lowest price is 150,000 VND / kg. Bringing this question to Ms. Tran Thi Phuong, 46 years old, a small trader specializing in selling crabs in Ha Dong market, she affirmed: “There has never been a story of live crabs selling for less than 150,000 VND / kg. Because, to have 1kg of pre-ground crab clean, you need to buy 1.3-1.4kg of raw crab. Thus, the crab price must also be calculated from 200,000-230,000 VND / kg “. “On the internet market, small traders keep advertising frozen crabs, frozen ready-made copper crabs but only cost 75,000-80,000 VND / kg, making sure that they are not genuine crabs, much less crabs. live fresh, “she stressed. Meanwhile, the price of live crab at the market is twice as expensive Many people suspect that it could be a western crab or crab imported from Cambodia, Thailand (illustration). Ms. Phuong also revealed that the frozen copper crabs, frozen pre-ground crabs are being sold at cheap prices on the internet market, most likely that the crabs with broken legs, broken legs, sick, peeled, leave bibs only to keep. The meat is then grinded. Or that is the western type crab or the ground crab imported from Cambodia. Because only these two types of crabs can be sold for a very “soft” price, only 60,000-70,000 VND / kg. The trader also warned that he has just entered the heat wave in the early summer, but there are many types of crabs sold in the market. However, not all sellers guarantee good quality at affordable prices. In fact, many small traders for profit try to import Western copper crabs or imported copper crabs with genuine copper crabs. Therefore, consumers should not be too greedy for cheap but be trapped. “In general, it’s money. Cheap crab will not be a standard crab and ensure quality. Not to mention wanting to eat delicious crab soup, housewives never buy packaged or canned frozen crabs. Because it is convenient, but the quality is not guaranteed and there are many potential risks of poisoning because it is not known how long these crab boxes are kept in the refrigerator. The seller himself may not know if the crab has been thoroughly washed and removed the dead crab before grinding ”, noted Ms. Phuong.

This is a particularly important step. To have a delicious meal, the ingredients always need to be fresh and hygienic. When choosing crabs, the secret is to choose those that are firm, when squeezed on the lower abdomen and tomorrow does not see rickety, soft. After buying, put it in the freezer or ice basin to let the crabs get cold, then whether you cook it right away or cook and let the next meal, the crab will still retain its sweet taste and nutrients. . After about 10 minutes, the crabs are lethargic, not moving, then take them off, cut the lanyard and use an old toothbrush to scrub and clean the shell. Photo: Internet Photo: Internet This is a small but extremely effective secret that not every mother knows to cook delicious steamed crab. Because when put in too cold, the crab will shrink, the more sure will be. Don’t be afraid of crabs moving so you cannot clean the whole baby and when you steam it, you will not be afraid of them because of the heat, they will struggle and break the more. Steamed way Put crabs in the steamer in the direction of them (belly down, apricot up), no need to add any seasoning because crabs have the salty taste of sea salt, adding spices will make the crab water lose its sweetness. and still salty. Add a few branches of lemongrass and crushed ginger and steam together to make the crab fragrant and less weld when eaten. Photo: Internet Large lighter, steam about 7-10 minutes after boiling water, turn off the heat (at this time crab has turned red and thanks to the heat absorbed by the hard shell, the meat is cooked inside). Do not steam too long lest crab lose its substance. Enjoy hot to prevent crabs from being fishy and most delicious. Photo: Internet If you do not eat all, want to leave the next day, put the cooled crab in a sealed box and store in the freezer. You should not buy crabs and put them in the freezer the next day to be processed into dishes, seafood is not like livestock and poultry, they should be eaten fresh to keep both nutrients and flavor. best. If you let the crabs freeze, they will have less meat, and when eaten, the crab will be very rickety.

According to information from Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi), Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, said that there are at least 3 types of poisonous crabs: demon-faced crab, seed crab and Florida crab. father in the waters of Central Vietnam, Nha Trang and some other places. Recently, the Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, also confirmed that the man in Thanh Hoa was poisoned after eating crab. This type of crab has a very high toxicity, very easily fatal when eaten. Dr. Nguyen said that the crab poisoning progress is very fast, it can appear after eating within a few hours. Many patients eat at sea, on ships, on islands, get poisoned and when they are brought ashore, they cannot be treated in time. Even many cases died on the way to the hospital. Devil-faced crab Devil face crab, scientific name is Zosimus aeneus, is one of the poisonous crab species living in Vietnamese waters, there are many from Da Nang to Vung Tau. Devil-faced crabs are often hidden in shallow, low-tide areas. They have the same color as coral, so it is difficult to identify. According to information from Nha Trang Institute of Oceanography, the devil face crab has the widest chest shell of nearly 90 mm, about 55 mm long. Crab shell has many flat convex, eye-catching colors, unlike food sea crabs. Devil-faced crabs are blue-green with white, brown, and yellow markings. The legs and legs of the crab are dark brown. The crab’s meat, eggs and claws contain the same toxins in pufferfish as saxitoxin, neurotoxin and tetrodotoxin. The poisonous crabs poisonous crabs formed by the main food source are the algae in the coral reef. These substances cause paralysis of the nervous system, inhibiting respiration. This is a very powerful toxin to the nervous system, just 0.5 mg can be fatal for adults. Devil-faced crabs can be fatal when ingested. Photo: Sciencesource. Crab fan This crab species has the scientific name Demania reynaudii of the family Xanthidae (the Xanthid reef crab). According to the literature, the fan crab is a crustacean, benthic, common in coral reefs in the tropical Indo-Pacific. Currently, scientists have identified nearly 300 species of crabs living in the sea, some of which contain the toxin saxitoxin or tetrodotoxin. These are 2 toxins that cause poisoning and death if ingested. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Viet Ha, Director of Institute of Oceanography, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, tetrodotoxin is heat-stable and acid-stable so it does not decompose at high temperature when cooking. nine. It can even exist in processed, frozen, canned products. This toxin can affect the central nervous system of humans and higher animals, stopping the transmission of nerve signals. Symptoms of poisoning usually appear about 30 minutes after eating, including tongue numbness, lip numbness, dizziness, headache, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing, movement imbalance. .. In severe cases, the victim has seizures, froth, coma and death. Demania renaudii fan crab specimen collected from food poisoning in Thanh Hoa on March 27. Photo: Truong Si Hai Trinh. Crab seeds The seed crab (Platypodia granulosa) is just as poisonous as the demon face crab. Crab seeds have oval body. Their nipple shells are semi-circular, the longest about 30 mm, the widest about 40 mm, covered with granular convex tumors. Raw crabs are yellowish-green in color, sometimes yellowish-brown or purplish-red in color. The knuckles are black in color. The seed crab is usually found on living coral reefs, at a depth of about 3 m, at Hon Tam – Nha Trang. They are sometimes mistaken for the common Florida crab (Atergatis floridus). Crab Florida According to the National Institutes of Medicine (NIH), this crab has the scientific name Atergastis floridus. They have an oval body, relatively narrow shell, smooth surface, smooth back. The whole crab body is brown to dark brown in color, with large yellow spots on the back. The Florida crab has a nipple shell that is almost like a horizontal ellipse. The back surface of the crab shell is slightly convex but smooth, making it difficult to identify areas. The toes are dark colored. The crabs are of large, equal and smooth size with a black spoon-shaped head. Male crabs are usually larger than females. The crab shell has a square shape, is quite thick and has a width of 8-10 cm. Florida crabs are usually more active at night. Atergatis floridus occurs in the eastern Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the western Pacific. According to the Western Australian Museum, The meat of the crab Florida, like many related crabs from the Xanthidae family, is very poisonous. The toxins in this crab species such as tetrodotoxin and saxitoxin are produced by vibrio-like bacteria that live in symbiosis on crabs. These toxins, similar to puffer fish, are a major factor in poisoning cases in shellfish.