Jellyfish hotpot is a well-worth-trying option. (Photo: Khoai Restaurant)

Some dishes can make people remember a destination after just one taste.

When it comes to Quy Nhon, many people immediately think of “banh xeo tom nhay” or “bun cha ca”. However, in recent years, jellyfish hotpot has become increasingly popular among visitors seeking a full taste of the city’s sea.

Simple in preparation, the dish attracts diners with a combination of seafood sweetness, a light flavourful broth, and the crunchy texture of fresh jellyfish.

Quy Nhon has long been blessed with an extensive coastline, broad lagoon, and abundant seafood. Every morning, fishing boats return to shore carrying a variety of fish, shrimp, squid, crabs, and jellyfish. These fresh ingredients have helped shape the culinary identity of the locality, where many dishes are formed from the working life of coastal locals.

Unlike ordinary seafood hotpots that rely mainly on natural sweetness, jellyfish hotpot stands out for its broth. The broth is typically prepared from simmered bones combined with shrimp paste, tomatoes, and traditional seasonings, creating a mildly sour and savoury flavour without being overpowering. When the broth comes to a boil, golden pieces of shrimp paste float to the surface, alongside red tomatoes and green spring onions, and dill, creating a pot that is both visually appealing and aromatic.

The dish’s distinction lies in the main ingredient - jellyfish. Jellyfish is carefully prepared to retain its natural crunch while removing any fishy or overly salty taste. When dipping jellyfish into the boiling broth, the jellyfish only needs to be cooked briefly before it is ready to eat. The jellyfish with a translucent, crispy texture blends with the gentle richness of shrimp paste and the mildly sour broth, creating an unusual but harmonious combination. The contrast between the steaming-hot soup and the cool crunch of jellyfish gives the dish an appeal that few other dishes can have.

Besides jellyfish, the hotpot may also include a variety of fresh seafood, including shrimp, squid, fish or fish cakes, depending on each restaurant’s recipe. The accompanying vegetables also reflect the culinary character of central Vietnam, including water spinach, mustard greens, malabar spinach, shredded banana flower, and herbs. Fresh rice vermicelli is usually served instead of rice, allowing diners to fully enjoy the sweetness of the broth without feeling overly cloyed.

The broth is typically prepared from simmered bones combined with shrimp paste, tomatoes, and traditional seasonings. (Photo: Vinwonders)

Another interesting feature is that each restaurant in Quy Nhon has its own way of preparing the dish. Some emphasize the rich flavour of shrimp paste, while others favour the lighter sweetness of bone and seafood broth. Certain restaurants add crab, mantis shrimp, or squid to create a more complex flavour. This variety encourages many visitors to try jellyfish hotpot at several different places to discover the differences in each version of one dish.

Besides its flavour, jellyfish hotpot also reflects how coastal locals make use of locally available ingredients. From seasonally harvested jellyfish, they are transformed through the skill of cooks and become a dish combining the sea creatures and the familiar Vietnamese style of cooking sour seafood broth. This creativity contributes to the abundant cuisine of Quy Nhon, alongside the city’s more established specialities.

Today, many seafood restaurants and eateries across Quy Nhon feature jellyfish hotpot on their menus. The dish is especially popular in the late afternoon and evening, when the weather is cool and families or groups of friends gather around a steaming pot, enjoying crunchy pieces of jellyfish, sipping the hot broth and chatting together, having an experience making the trip more complete.

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