The specialities

Phu Quoc dogs

They are famous for their cleverness and listed the world’s rare dogs in French dictionary-Larousse. Here are some features of Phu Quoc dogs.- Back whorl of Phu Quoc dog: using the word “whorl” here is not absolutly exact because Phu Quoc dogs’ back whorls don’t have round shape but it is a line (sometimes sinuous) on backbone beginning at shoulder to the end of bottom bone (excluding tail). The whorl’s width is about 1-2cm. The hair within whorl area is harder and longer. The whorl usually forms a beautiful decoration.

- Hair of Phu Quoc dogs: genuine Phu Quoc dogs have silky hair and is close to their skin. They just shudder and slightly wag their body when coming back from water, their body will immediately be dry.

The dog hair color is commonly auburn (like alum color) well-matching the red color of soil, which is conveniently a disguisement when going hunting or hiding.

Feet of Phu Quoc dogs: the hair on feet of dog is normally gathered because of close position of four separate toes. However, Phu Quoc dogs have webbed-feet like duck’s feet. Phu Quoc dog’s toes lie a bit farther than that of normal dogs. When they swim in water, their toes stretch like an oar pushing the whole body forward.

The dog’s race maintenance: when nearing their due day, the mother dog goes to the forest to dig a hole and to take care of themselves. When the puppy is strong enough, the mother takes her babies home. If a flock consists of 10 puppies, there will be 6-7 ones with “wearing” claw ( good hunting dogs).

Phu Quoc dogs have big snout, long and proportioned body and legs, straight tail, large chest and slim belly. They can run as fast as a squirrel or swim well like an otter. Besides, they can hear and understand human language.

While going hunting, the dog is, in case, watching for the quarry. People can’t shout out then, they just jerk up their chin and pointing at the quarry. The dog, at once, rush into the quarry.

Phu Quoc pepper

As fish sauce, Phu Quoc pepper is also a famous speciality and valuable spice on the country.
Phu Quoc pepper is famous for its big seed, thin husk, strong and spicy taste, and solid score.

The favourable land and weather and long-standing experiences, pepper trees in Phu Quoc grow well covering a large area. Pepper brought in by Chineses from Hai Nam and has planted here since 19th century. Growing pepper experiences were exclusively kept by these Chineses. Until 1946, when the French army came back to invade Vietnam, Vietnamese evacuated to gardening areas. Since, they learned how to grow pepper.

Today, pepper trees are planted through the island such as the north island, Bung Goi, Gio fall, Can mouth and Lap mouth. However, they are grown most in Khu Tuong region. Here is famous for series of pepper gardens beyond measure stretching far away.. pepper trees grow on the red land by mountainfoot and on the slope of streams. Pepper cultivation takes a lot of time and efforts. It can just be harvested after three years of planting.

Peppers choosen to air are called the ripe while ripe peppers with rubbed off husk are called white ones. The remains of pepper bunch are brought for threshing and classified into root, ordinary, shiny and deflated pepper. To get hot- smelling peppers, locals have to make a lot of efforts and accumulate experiences because if carefully and properly taken care of, pepper trees can be harvested for around 20-40 years, if not they will easily die soon.

Bien Mai scallop speciality

An Thoi appeals tourists by not only legends, beautiful beaches but famous specialities. An Thoi is the hometown of seafood Bien Mai.Bien Mai is a kind of scallop with unique shape- trangle shape, big as a back of adult hand, deeply plunging into the sea bed. However, Bien Mai is different from other scallops that we can’t eat up its meat but eat only a round small sinew which is white and small as a coin. The cover must be broken and the sinew is taken out for cooking.

Therefore, Bien Mai is fairly expensive. The local can cook many dishes with Bien Mai: sweet and sour shuttered Bien Mai, streamed Bien Mai, Bien Mai porridge, grilled Bien Mai with raw vegetables and girdle cake. As beef, Bien Mai is even dipped in boiled vinegar. Since Bien Mai tastes sweet, benign and have good smell, locals greet tourists with this special dish. It is one of main courses of a meal.
 

Tomentose rose myrtle alcohol

The tomentose rose myrtle fruit is a special one which is present throughout Vietnam, but in Phu Quoc it is “sublimated” into a special alcohol with fascinating violet.Tomentose rose myrtle alcohol is considered as a Phuquoc’s speciality thank to its specially good smell and nice taste. Made of tomentose rose myrtle fruits and mostly produced by a manually fermented method. This alcohol has a very beautiful clear yellow-turned violet color and the typical smell of tomentose rose myrtle fruits. It tastes delicately sweet mingled with acrid. The alcohol is good for digestion and can treat some aches and pains of old people.

In island district Phu Quoc, there are now relatively many tomentose rose myrtle hills within protective forest area of Ham Ninh, Duong To comune, and Duong mouth.

Tomentose rose myrtle blossoms and fruits almost all year round, but, according to the experience of alcohol producers, the spring crop offers the best quality fruits with a lot of honey – the best material for good alcohol.

Today, there are some brands of this alcohol which were passed the quality test of the State’s medical organizations such as: “ Ruou Sim Rung” (Tomentose rose myrtle alcohol) and “Mat Sim Rung” (Tomentose rose myrtle honey) with the beautiful packing. They are the products of Vuon Tao Phu Quoc, developed by Mr. Trinh Cong Phat in accordance with the wine production technology.

Phu Quoc pearl

According to the evaluation of culture pearl specialists, Phu Quoc pearl is ranked the world’s best kind. Previously, it is for Lords and noble class. However, it is today the high-grade jewelry for the rich. It is said that sparkling pearls likely keeps mysteries. Seeming that the best universal quintessences converge in Phu Quoc pearl.Culturing oysters is not only for precious pearls but also for others. People take full advantage of oysters. Oyster shells are a kind of material for making excellently fine handicraft articles such as articles incrusted with mother-of-pearl, clothes buttons and many other jewelries. Powder of pearls is used to make up medicines for treating many diseases of bone, joint, skin… Cosmetic producers extol pearls as a magic remedy to lighten and beautify face skin. In addition, the oysters meat is a delicious and nutritious speciality.