Enjoy Oc Sai Gon – special delicious food in Vietnam travel

Published: 09:51 Wednesday - August 24, 2011

It is easy for tourists in Vietnam travel to find snail eateries as they are everywhere in Saigon. It’s a favorite snack for both young and elderly Saigonese.

Saigon has so many dishes made of mollusk and crustacean species that people call them simply oc (snail). And now oc is part of Saigonese life.

It is easy for tourists in Vietnam travel find snail eateries as they are everywhere in Saigon, from downtown to outlying areas, from big restaurants in main streets to small bistros off alleys or along the city’s many canals. Don’t think for a minute snail dishes are only for beer drinkers, as it is a favorite snack for both young and elderly Saigonese, from students to executive and clerical officers, from cyclo drivers to glamorous celebrities. If you are in Vietnam travel, shouldn’t forget to enjoy this delicious food

Snail eateries often open from late afternoon to midnight. When students finish classes or workers gather to eat and make some jokes with friends before they head home. Middle-aged men with drinking companions enjoy idle talk while women come to satisfy their eating pleasure and gossip with their buddies. Also, celebrities come to sample something from home instead of signature Western foods in luxury restaurants.

People call them snail restaurants but they serve many kinds of dishes to meet diverse options of diners. From many kinds of snails such as oc buou (middle-sized snail), oc huong (sweet snail), finger snail or oc mo (fat snail), diners can also enjoy clams, oysters, shrimps, crab and duck embryos. They are often made with lemon grass, lemon leaves, tamarind and garlic - boiled, grilled or steam fried to balance the flavor of the seafood and make them delicious.

In some snail stalls, revelers can also find other dishes made of pork, beef, rabbit, ostrich and many kinds of hotpots. Therefore, boiled oc buou with lemon leaves, fried oc mo with tamarind, grilled oyster with onion fat, steamed oc len with coconut juice, steamed clam with lemon grass, snail salad, fried crab or shrimp with chili salt, grilled chicken wings, legs or fried rau muong (water spinach) with garlic, seafood fried rice and fish or beef hotpot are some popular dishes for oc lovers.

The price depends on location and season. But the dishes often cost from VND30,000 to VND100,000 a dish.

Beer or a soft drink like coca-cola are suitable drinks for snail eaters who are recommended not to drink fruit juice or sweet soup while eating snail dishes to ensure they don’t get stomach trouble. If you are also an oc addict, why don’t you make an evening out with your friends when you finish work today. I make a bet on that you will have a lot of fun and will enjoy some tasty delights.

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