Lamp Shell: Ocean Hidden Gem

Lamp shell – a long-leg beauty beckons Vietnamese food lovers.

During the mid-2010s, Vietnamese newspapers and social media buzzed with excitement about a unique seafood delicacy from Ha Tien: cà xỉu, also known as lamp shell. But what makes lamp shells so special, and is it truly exclusive to Ha Tien?

What is lamp shell?

First, let’s get to know this intriguing seafood. The lamp shell is a fascinating creature, resembling a mix between a shell and an insect. It has a soft white body nestled within two green shells, with a long, white appendage (is it a leg or a tail?) extending out. Despite being a hermaphrodite (self-reproducing), let’s refer to it as “she” because her “leg” is as long and elegant as that of a beauty queen.

She prefers the sandy areas along the coast or the edges of brackish water lagoons. Like handsome man Chử Đồng Tử when meeting Princess Tien Dung in the Vietnamese fairy tale “Chử Đồng Tử”, she buries herself in the sand, though not very deep. Coastal dwellers often stroll along the shore at low tide, spotting three small holes in the sand. They sit down, dig, and are almost certain to find her. Additionally, they use nets to sweep the shallow waters near the shore to catch her.  

Not only Ha Tien but most coastal areas of Vietnam from North to South are home to our fascinating friend. The difference lies in how abundant she is and whether the locals consider her a culinary delight. She also goes by many amusing names. In Thai Binh, she’s known as día biển. In Hai Phong, her name morphs into giá bể. The coastal provinces of Central Vietnam call her dẻ áo or đuôi heo. Down in Ha Tien, she’s affectionately called cà xỉu.

I suspect these names were coined by the first people who laid eyes on her. Names like giá bể (ocean beansprout), dẻ áo (button line), and đuôi heo (pig’s tail) make sense because her long leg resembles a beansprout, a button line, or a pig’s tail. But as for día biển and cà xỉu, I’m stumped. Any guesses?

Her name isn’t just complicated in Vietnamese; her English name is equally perplexing. Scientifically, she’s known as Lingula anatina, a name bestowed by a French biologist in 1801. According to Wikipedia, this name is Latin for “the small tongue of a short-bill duck.” Her common name is a bit simpler, often referred to as lamp shell because her shells resemble a slender table lamp. Occasionally, she’s also called tongue snail.

Northern mixed and stir-fry delights 

Located in the east of Thai Binh province, Thai Thuy district boasts three large estuaries and numerous brackish areas, making it a haven for lamp shells. The locals often use them to create a delicious mixed dish.

To evoke this oceanic delight, they cradle the lamp shells in water, coaxing out stubborn grains of sand—a dedicated ritual that lasts a few hours. Once the shells have surrendered their sandy secrets, they receive a pampering wash. Next, the shells’ bodies and legs part ways. The bodies take a dip in a bubbling cauldron, their delicate flesh extracted. Meanwhile, the legs merely dip their toes in boiling water before emerging, blanched and ready to shine.

Once the ingredients are ready, the enchantment unfolds through Thai Binh’s nem thính method. High-quality fish sauce, blended with pepper and lemon juice, marinates the tender flesh and legs. The star condiment – thính – is rice roasted to a golden brown and finely crushed. Delicately sliced young lemon leaves and crushed young galangal join the symphony, infusing the dish with an aromatic flourish.

Upon the plate, the pale yellow mixed lamp shell dish (nem día) reclines, its modest demeanor belying the sensations it holds. Take a portion and wrap it in the cluster fig leaves. Their veins cradle the promise of flavor, while perilla leaves add their herbal grace. Now, the aromatic galangal steps forth, banishing fishy whispers and icy memories of the sea. 

The flesh unveils itself – rich, sweet, and salty. A hint of pepper tiptoes across your taste buds. And the legs? Ah, they pirouette on your palate, crisp and nimble, while a lemon tang flits around them. Roasted rice powder, like stardust, weaves its magic. Cluster fig leaves and lemon leaves join hands, creating a harmonious crescendo. Nem día sings its ode to the sea – a melody you’ll carry with you long after the last bite.

Hai Phong’s stir-fried lamp shells are a feast for the eyes with their bright, golden sauce. The jade green lamp shells with pure white tails are attractive. The sauce is a fragrant blend of onion, garlic, turmeric, chili, a hint of vinegar’s tang, and a touch of oyster sauce’s saltiness, all set against the fresh backdrop of tomatoes.

Eating stir-fried lamp shells is an art form that requires both time and skill. You need to deftly use your teeth and tongue to peel off the hard shell and get to the soft, fatty goodness inside. This meticulous process allows you to savor the lamp shells’ flavor more deeply. No wonder this Hai Phong dish is so famous – it’s a culinary adventure in every bite!

Southern fermented delicacies

In the coastal area of Ha Tien, locals often stir-fry lamp shells with pineapple or cook them in a sweet-sour tamarind soup to enjoy with rice. When there’s an abundance of lamp shells, they turn to the Southern traditional method of soaking them in salted water or fish sauce.

The shells are carefully selected, cleaned, boiled, then dried in the sun. Afterward, they are soaked in salted water or a mixture of cooked fish sauce with sugar. Since the lamp shells are cooked, they don’t ferment like other pickled or fermented foods. Technically, they should be called soaked lamp shells, but the folks in Ha Tien simply refer to them as mắm cà xỉu or “fermented lamp shells”. 

Freshly soaked for just a day or two, these quick-salted lamp shells (cà xỉu muối xổi) are a delight. At this stage, the flesh and legs have a sweet and slightly salty taste, making them perfect with hot steamed rice. You can also whip up a mango or papaya salad with them. The Southern-style sour-spicy-salty-sweet quartet pairs wonderfully with the soft, fatty flesh and the chewy, crunchy legs. Add in some aromatic sweet basil, and you’ve got a seafood salad with an extraordinary flavor that stands out from the rest.

In Can Tho, there’s a restaurant that takes fermented lamp shells to the next level by making them into a hot pot. The broth isn’t as strong as other fermented varieties, but it’s sweet, spicy, and fragrant with the flavor of bird’s eye chili. Bright yellow Egyptian riverhemp flowers stand proudly beside dreamy purple blue pea flowers. Soft, gentle shredded banana flower cozies up next to sturdy okra. Fresh shrimp, fish, and squid vie for attention alongside lovely stuffed bitter melon. As the lamp shell hot pot simmers, it releases a fresh, airy ocean scent reminiscent of dawn. What a culinary masterpiece!

From a humble dish quietly enjoyed in the kitchens of coastal communities to a delicious and organic delicacy known to many, lamp shell still has a long journey ahead to become a staple with a loyal fan base. Protecting its living areas, avoiding overexploitation, and continuing to innovate with delicious lamp shell dishes are likely the best ways to help this “beauty” become a lasting gem in Vietnamese cuisine. With careful stewardship and culinary creativity, lamp shells can shine brightly on the tables of food lovers for generations to come.

mlefood – Minh Lê