Written by You gotta try dog conch
These shellfish are a well kept secret in the deep South 'hoi chak teen' are a great local seafood to keep an eye out for when visiting Thailand's gorgeous tropical beach areas.
It's especially common throughout Krabi Province, and considered to be a local delicacy.
It's especially common throughout Krabi Province, and considered to be a local delicacy.
Krabi has a wide range of tasty shellfish, most known as 'hoi' or 'shell'. This particular one is called 'hoi chak teen' and Krabi region is famous for it.
Strangely enough, there's not much English language info around online or in the brochures, except for the very basics.
This is a ‘very Krabi taste’ that Thais from across the nation know about, and will search out.
Most Thais make a point of eating hoi chak teen when they're here, as it's considered to be a highlight of the local cuisine.
Most Thais make a point of eating hoi chak teen when they're here, as it's considered to be a highlight of the local cuisine.
You’ll see small mountains of these and many other shells at various beach and coastal locations around the South.
Almost always, they're simply barbecued over natural charcoal, boiled or steamed.
They're served in the shell with toothpicks, and they're eaten both as a snack and as part of a meal
Because local names and nicknames vary so much, here's the genus and species if you want to research them a bit further.
The Latin name is Strombus canarium
Don't be scared of the unfamiliar appearance. This is a top quality local shellfish, quickly boiled, served with 'nam jim' lime & chilli dipping sauce.
This style of eating works with most shellfish, so try shellfish from your local area done the same way, served with Thai nam jim dipping sauce.
I've posted an easy and delicious nam jim recipe here.
We ended up foraging our own shells on Nopparatara beach on several occasions, and we managed to end up with enough for a feast.
You need to keep an eye on the beach. The locals know the right time to forage each type of shellfish, and this one is on an outgoing spring tide, at a certain water level.
It's fun to join the hunt. Krabi people suddenly emerge from their houses 'en masse' and converge on the beach like some weird sort of foraging 'flash mob'.
You need to keep an eye on the beach. The locals know the right time to forage each type of shellfish, and this one is on an outgoing spring tide, at a certain water level.
It's fun to join the hunt. Krabi people suddenly emerge from their houses 'en masse' and converge on the beach like some weird sort of foraging 'flash mob'.
You can also buy these shells alive at the local wet markets.
Here's a few local tricks for preparing and eating these shellfish that will save you crunching grit and sand with your molars.
Being algae-scoffing sand-dwellers, they're usually quite dirty when you get live ones. The locals in Krabi 'choke' the shellfish in a bucket of seawater or fresh water with salt and a few crushed Thai chillies.The poor molluscs prefer non-spicy water, so they end up sputtering around and pushing the sand out with their foot in a disgruntled fashion. This takes about 40 minutes to an hour.
They are called “Hoi chak teen” in Thai. ‘Chak teen’ means ‘feet pulling’ and hoi means ‘shell’. The obedient wee dog conch lives up to it's name and pulls it's foot around trying to get out of the spicy chilli water.
Interestingly, in Thai language "Hoi" is also the slang word for a female’s most intimate parts, due to an apparent ‘similarity’ in appearance to mussels and oysters. One would hope they are referring to the soft delicious interior flesh instead of the muddy, barnacle-covered protective shell.
Be careful with indiscriminate use of the word 'hoi' without being specific about the TYPE of hoi.
For boiling:
Treat these differently from normal shellfish. i.e. Don't boil the water first.
Start them in cold water and heat gently.
This way, the dog conch wave their foot, so when cooked it's sticking out a little bit and you can easily get them out of the armour. Easy that is, if you have the right tools.
Hoi chak teen are curly wee critters, so before getting ready for a feast of exotic shells, make sure you have toothpicks handy to hook them out of their stately shell homes.
There's a trick to it – just prick the toothpick into the meat, then twist the shell and the toothpick in opposite directions.
For the barbecue
Just grill for a few minutes, and remember to not overcook dog conch as they'll get tough, dry and leathery
Just grill for a few minutes, and remember to not overcook dog conch as they'll get tough, dry and leathery
Another idea for serving
Pull them out of their shell after a quick blanch in boiling water, and use them in curry, a soup, or a tasty Thai salad.
Pull them out of their shell after a quick blanch in boiling water, and use them in curry, a soup, or a tasty Thai salad.
You'd probably upset the locals if you did that with their portion though.
In Krabi “hoi chak teen” is always served plainly cooked with a fiery sour, salty dip. Imaginative or different ways of cooking and serving are not appreciated
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Nam jim sauce is an exciting concoction of lime juice, chilli, garlic and nam pla (Thai fish sauce).
A dash of sugar heightens the taste, and smooths it all out.
You can use mild or spicy chillies as per your personal taste. IN South Thailand they use small fiery red ones called "prik kee noo" literally translated as 'mouse shit chillies' due to the small size.
To make a truly great dipping sauce you need a stone mortar and pestle to smash everything to a tasty puree, rather than the inferior texture created by chopping or using a food processor.
If you're going to Thailand, or know anybody who is travelling or living in Krabi, Phi Phi, Ao Nang, Khlong Muang, Koh Yao Yai or Koh Lanta, please RT or share this post with them so they can keep an eye out for this affordable and delicious 'must try' food.
If you show local restaurants or vendors the photos from this page on your phone, they'll be able to point you in the right direction.
Bai gin khao………….and Bon Appetite.
