Besides the well-known tank crab and moon crab, Côn Đảo is also home to a small but flavorful species that often surprises visitors — the wine crab. Despite its modest size, wine crab offers sweet, firm, fragrant meat similar to field crabs, and when stir-fried with tamarind, even the claws and legs become delightfully crunchy.
Small in size, big in flavor
Wine crabs are tiny — about the size of a big toe — weighing only 10–20 grams each. Their claws are small, and their shell has a distinctive purplish-brown tone resembling red wine, which is likely how they earned their name.
They live around terraced rice fields on the mountain slopes and appear mostly at night, especially during rain. The crabs often feed on young rice plants and crops, so locals go out into the fields at night, searching for fresh soil mounds that indicate a crab has just burrowed. With a quick hand, they can pull the crab out and drop it into a basket.
At the Côn Đảo market, wine crabs are surprisingly affordable — only around 35,000 VND per kilogram — making them a humble yet charming local specialty.
Delicious dishes made from Côn Đảo wine crab
Local cooks transform wine crabs into a variety of tasty dishes, each offering a unique flavor of Côn Đảo:
1. Boiled wine crab with salt, pepper, and lime
This dish keeps the natural sweetness of the crab intact. When dipped in salt-pepper-lime and served with fragrant lime leaves, it becomes simple yet incredibly satisfying.
2. Wine crab in vermicelli soup
Though small, wine crabs have plenty of meat and roe. When ground and filtered, they create a sweet, aromatic broth perfect for a refreshing crab vermicelli soup — especially popular on hot summer days.
3. Wine crab porridge
Warm, mild, and full of natural umami, wine crab porridge is a comforting dish loved by both adults and children.
4. Salt-roasted wine crab
A savory option where the crabs are roasted with salt until the shells turn crisp and the flavor becomes rich and deeply satisfying.
5. Tamarind-stir-fried wine crab – the signature dish
This is the most popular and iconic dish made from wine crabs.
Preparation is simple:
- Clean the crabs thoroughly and drain
- Sauté garlic until fragrant, then add the crabs
- Once the shells turn bright red, pour in tamarind sauce
- Simmer over low heat so the sauce penetrates the meat
- Add chili for a mild kick
- Finish with Vietnamese coriander and serve with salt-pepper-lime
The result is a perfect balance: firm, sweet meat coated in tangy tamarind sauce with a hint of heat — a flavor that lingers long after the meal ends.
A humble taste that stays with every traveler
Côn Đảo’s wine crab is both familiar and unique — humble yet irresistibly delicious. With just a small cost and simple cooking techniques, you can enjoy dishes rich in local character.
It becomes even more special when enjoyed by the sea, with the sound of waves and fresh ocean breeze. One taste of wine crab in Côn Đảo, and you’ll understand why so many visitors fall in love with this island and wish to return again and again.
