The vegetable that used to grow wild, no one eats, is now a popular tourist specialty, affordable but extremely delicious.

Coming to Cat Ba (Hai Phong) in the summer, visitors will enjoy a specialty that contributes to the brand of this place – which is spinach. They’ve been around since no one knows, just know that they don’t need to be planted or cared for, but vegetables still grow well. That’s why the islanders have called them “God-given blessings”…

Bich Phuong (39 years old) – fisherman living on Cat Ba island said: “Spinach is a wild vegetable that grows scattered in salt fields, along brackish swamps and shrimp ponds in coastal communes of Quynh Luu. (Nghe An), Cat Ba (Hai Phong). They grow and develop completely in the natural environment, so this is a vegetable with a very special taste, good for health and is considered a clean vegetable.

Spinach is a wild vegetable that grows scattered in salt fields, along brackish swamps and shrimp ponds in coastal communes Quynh Luu (Nghe An), Cat Ba (Hai Phong).

When the weather sets in spring, spinach grows well, Bich Phuong and her neighbors often take advantage of the time not to go fishing to pick spinach to process into dishes for the family. Some people even pick a lot and bring it to the market to sell because it is clean and rich in nutrients, so many tourists buy it as a gift.

“Currently, the demand for spinach as a dish at restaurants and hotels has increased, so the supply is not enough, so no matter where the vegetables are harvested, we wholesale them there, even if there are not enough goods. Previously, we sold for only a few thousand VND/kg, now it has increased rapidly, about 25,000 – 30,000 VND/kg. That is a good sign for people on the island to improve their lives as well as the economy,” said the woman in the sea.

When the weather is spring, the spinach grows well, Bich Phuong and her neighbors often take advantage of the time not to go fishing to go pick spinach to process into dishes for the family.

To process wild vegetables into dishes, Cat Ba people have to spend a lot of effort. Accordingly, after being picked, spinach will be picked up, soaked in water for about an hour or two to reduce the natural salty taste, then washed again, boiled, squeezed out all the water and used chopsticks to separate each top. After that, they will process into a series of specialties that will please visitors.

“Spinach can be made mannequins, just squeeze to drain, mix with a little herbs, lemon leaves, sugar, chili and roasted peanuts, you can enjoy. Spinach salad when eaten will be crispy like seaweed, with a cool taste, a harmonious sweet and sour taste, subtle aroma of lemon leaves, herbs…

If stir-fried, spinach is especially suitable for garlic, oysters and shrimp. The simplest thing is to boil it and eat it, then dip the vegetables with soy sauce, “said Bich Phuong.

To process wild vegetables into dishes, Cat Ba people have to spend a lot of effort.

It can be said that for people who have been associated with salt fields, Cat Ba or Quynh Luu shrimp ponds, eating spinach is also a way to return to childhood memories. As for the people of the city, spinach is a way to enjoy a clean gift from the countryside, a famous specialty.