What’s in the famous “shocking cheap” seafood market located in the middle of the most exclusive border town in the West?
Right before the sun came up, the atmosphere of the fish market located next to the mouth of the Dong Ho river (Ha Tien city) was extremely bustling and crowded with people. Sellers and buyers like playing word games, the question is not over yet, the small traders quickly replied: “This cuttlefish is a hundred-one/signature”.
In the stomach of tourists who come here, they will probably think to themselves: “Why is it so cheap?” let’s see. But that also just to confirm once again, where they are standing – is the most famous fish market in Ha Tien. This place has all three criteria of delicious – nutritious – cheap, not mention the market is also located inside the inner city.
The only seafood market in the West is located in the middle of the border town
Ha Tien Market is located next to the mouth of the Dong Ho River – one of the ten beautiful scenes of the border city of Ha Tien – this is the intersection between the Giang Thanh River originating in Cambodia, flowing Dong Ho pool in Ha Tien city, before emptying. to the Gulf of Thailand. Every day, fishing boats of fishermen from the West Sea constantly dock at the port, bringing back hundreds of types of seafood, making the market always “busy” and bustling.
“Because the ship it docks and fishes here, the big driver weighs it back to the barn, and the small driver weighs it and sells it here. It only takes a few hours to sell out,” said a small trader.
After the seafood comes back from the boat, people will choose and classify them by type and size
City people will surely understand the difference best when walking to Ha Tien fish market. There are more than 50 types of seafood with prices all cheaper in that they are a third or even half.
According to a local resident, the fishing boats, squid will only be the boats going back in the day or sometimes every 2-3 days. When the boat arrives at the port, traders will bring it to the seafood stalls in the night market to deliver to the small boat drivers or meet local customers. Large shipments to Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau… usually transact at ports or fishery a few kilometers from the market. The time of the boat is usually not fixed, but if you want to buy fresh seafood, it is best to go to this market early in the morning between 4-6 am.
Going to Ha Tien market at 7 am is considered late. 5:30 am – 6 am is considered the time when Ha Tien market is most noisy and crowded. One after another, the message never ends, from row to row. Buyers and sellers haggle in the sound of boats and carts pulling goods into the market.
Seafood is then sold on the spot
“Boiling water, boiling water, please let me go, brothers and sisters!”
Following the voice of people, dozens of kilograms of fresh fish have not yet been able to remove the net.
These are sharks, sharks, mackerel, stingrays, goby, crabs, squid eggs, cuttlefish, cobia, shrimps, crabs… are all fresh items brought in from offshore by boats. port up after a fishing trip.
“Today’s cobia is hundred and six, squid eggs two hundred, milk crabs three dozen, blue crabs 10 pieces 1 kg cost one hundred and four, cuttlefish one hundred hundred, three hundred crabs,” a quick-witted merchant briefly introduced “real food.” menu” his seafood stall.
As noted, the price of seafood at Ha Tien market is cheaper than other seafood markets from 10,000 VND to 50,000 VND depending on the time.
Ms. Tran Thu Ha (49 years old, living in My Duc ward, Ha Tien city), a small trader in Ha Tien market, said that every day Ha’s seafood products sell more than 50kg of fish, squid and crabs of all kinds.
“In the morning, I sell it to people who go to the market, around 9-10 o’clock, I start to deliver to restaurants and restaurants in Ha Tien, seafood is always on my family’s boat”, Ms. Ha said.
According to Ms. Ha, Ha Tien market is a specialized seafood market, the price is somewhat cheaper than outside by a few tens of thousands of dong because people do not spend a lot of effort on transportation, store, just need to choose from the boat, the area. This market also often delivers matches to restaurants in the area or neighboring communes.
All kinds of shellfish, snails, crabs are completely fresh
Small businesses are ready to process on the spot for visitors without taking 1 more dong
After walking around Ha Tien market for a while, in addition to fresh seafood, we were also impressed by the “services” that small businesses here offer to tourists.
Accordingly, the vast majority of stalls in this market also accept fresh processing for customers for 0 dong.
“You can choose to buy it, here I’ll boil it or steam it for you without taking money,” the invitation of a small merchant made many tourists excited.
People filter herring bones so that customers can easily mix salads, along with that they also sell “divine dipping sauce”.
If traveling with a group and do not have time to prepare, tourists can ask the small traders at the market to boil or steam them, then they will box them for guests to take away, especially since many clever business places also sell jars. divine dipping sauce” with prices from 20,000 to 30,000 VND.
The special geographical location of Ha Tien city
The reason for the abundance of seafood is probably the geographical location and the priceless gift that nature is giving to the “border city” of Ha Tien.
Ha Tien city has a coastline of more than 20km, bordering Phu Quoc island district and the Gulf of Thailand. In addition, the “gift of heaven” in Ha Tien must include Dong Ho lagoon, which is located close to the city’s territory, known as the “world biosphere reserve”, adjacent to the border of Vietnam and Cambodia, with water channels. Sweet water flows into it, the most prominent is Giang Thanh – Vinh Te canal. Therefore, perhaps, seafood here is an abundant and sustainable resource of fishermen.
According to a resident who fishes near the shore all year round, we know that sometimes in the area of Dong Ho lagoon and flood outlet canals, people also discover many species of poisonous saltwater and freshwater fish (depending on the season). unique and diverse.