Quang Ninh’s cuisine is not only renowned for traditional dishes made from its abundant seafood but also for its blend with Chinese culinary influences. This is especially evident in border areas in eastern regions like Mong Cai, Cam Pha, Ba Che, Dam Ha, Tien Yen, and Binh Lieu.

The wedding feasts of local families in these areas are highly praised for showcasing a collection of “culinary gems,” including some famous specialties that not everyone gets the chance to try.

Thuy Duong (born 2001, Cam Pha ward) attended several weddings of friends and relatives in Ba Che (Ba Che town, formerly Ba Che district) and noted that each experience with the wedding feast brings a different sensation.

The young woman observed that wedding feasts in Ba Che feature many dishes, with menus typically including 12 or more items. Each dish is served in large, overflowing plates or bowls.

“Experiencing a wedding feast in Ba Che, or eastern Quang Ninh in general, feels like opening a ‘mystery bag’, you never know what’s inside. It’s exciting because you get to try a variety of unique and unusual dishes. The menu varies from one household to another, depending on their circumstances and preferences,” Duong said.

The Quang Ninh native also recounted that at a recent wedding she attended in Ba Che, a feast table for 10 people was lavishly prepared with 14 dishes, including desserts. Besides traditional dishes like boiled chicken, sticky rice, squid patties, and boiled shrimp, the feast included dishes familiar to locals in eastern Quang Ninh but novel to visitors from afar, such as sa sung (sipunculid worms) and stir-fried sea worms.

“Typically, wedding feasts in Ba Che include khau nhuc (braised pork belly) and stir-fried pickled mustard greens with dried squid. This time, in addition to those, I got to try steamed eel with fermented soybeans, which was very impressive. The eel was fresh, tender, and juicy, paired with fragrant and creamy fermented soybeans,” the 20-something said.

She especially praised the dish of stir-fried sea worms with kohlrabi, made from bong thua (Mud/Mangrove peanut worm, or Antillesoma antillarum), a famous local seafood. At first glance, bong thua and sa sung (peanut worm, or Sipunculus nudus) look similar, but they are distinct species. Sa sung has a long body, white or slightly pink, about the size of an adult’s fingertip. Bong thua, on the other hand, is dark black, shorter, smaller, with two tapered, slightly pointed ends. 

Sa sung can be eaten fresh or dried before use, while bong thua is typically prepared fresh, with stir-frying with kohlrabi being the most delicious method. 

Thao Trinh