Cactus spines are famous for seafood when it comes to Phu Quoc. This special name is also one of the reasons why people want to buy and enjoy it.
Cactus spines are also known as prickly snails by the sea people here. The name of this type of snail comes from its shape when there are spikes on the outside of its shell. This type of snail is quite rare, concentrated mainly in the southwest sea of Phu Quoc. Culinary circles often like this snail dish because of its sweet, crunchy, meaty, and delicious taste.
This special-shaped snail attracts curious consumers to buy and enjoy..
Looking at the external shape of the cactus snail, the most prominent ones are the sharp spikes that line the top of the snail’s body. A long, sharp thorn that pierced straight like a sharp claw. The size of the snail is also quite large compared to other types, the shell is dark brown and quite sturdy.
This type of snail is picked by fishermen with their hands or nets with nets. If in the past, this species of snail was little known, cheap or not for sale, but now it is very popular with tourists. The selling price ranges from 250 to 270,000 VND/kg. Even when transporting to big cities is also very popular.
A fisherman in Phu Quoc said that this type of cactus snail can be caught and sold out. The traders who come to buy and buy also love this seafood because the quantity is small, so it is easy to sell, many people like it. On average, the fishermen’s boats here can only catch about 20-30kg of cactus snails every day. People in the small fishing area will get from 1-2kg, so it is also scarce. So many people in the sea often see this type of snail as a gift of the sea used to treat guests when friends go to the island to play.
In addition to Phu Quoc, Vung Tau, this type of snail is also often sold in Hang Duong – Can Gio market in stalls bought and processed on the spot. Many consumers share, this type of cactus snail is very soft, sweet, crunchy and fragrant. When displayed on the plate, it looks very beautiful and luxurious, so I often buy it to invite guests.