Giant isopod (Bọ biển) – the scariest deep sea delicacy in VietnamCan’t picture how an alien-like creature tastes? Try the grilled giant isopod.
Giant isopods, one of the scariest looking creatures from the ocean, take Vietnamese seafood to an extreme. The cockroaches of the ocean live at the bottom of the sea, which consumes dead animals falling to the ocean floor.
This is the delicacy of the Vietnamese wealthy class. The isopod is rare and hard to catch, which sky-rockets its values. An average isopod is worth over $100. The isopods are cooked in various ways, but according to local foodies, there are the best 3 unique isopod dishes. The sea cockroaches are always first steamed up in a streetside sauna for 20 minutes. After that, the real fun begins:
Deep-fried isopod: They are cut into pieces, coated with flour, then deep-fried for a couple of minutes. Then, they are tossed to another wok where they are seasoned with a load of salty spices and stirred with garlic, ginger, leeks, and chilies.
Fried isopod with pork fat: For fried isopod, the sea creature is stir-fried with a blazing sweet and sour hot sauce. What makes this version incredibly dynamite is the added pork fat, which boosts the fulfilling fatness and bold flavor.
Grilled isopod: Firstly, the chef removes the shell from the isopod’s belly. Then, it is tossed on the grill and topped with scallion fat and lots of peanuts.
Though the seafood delicacy is very high priced, it is absolutely worth a shot. Take one big bite, you will feel the savory oceanic aroma enfolding your body. It is like the entire ocean is in your mouth assaulting your taste buds. So if you are down for some high-end supersize aquatic species, this dish is for you.
Have these dishes sparked your curiosity yet? The craziness doesn’t stop here, let’s jump to the higher level of insanity.
