The cone shell snail in Phú Quý, commonly known as the Lady’s Breast Snail, is a rare and delicious nutritious seafood dish that visitors should try when they arrive on the island.

The cone shell snail is shaped like a conical hat, with a black-gray outer shell and a shiny pearly inner surface. Its meat is tender and has a sweet, fragrant flavor. The cone shell snail is considered a superb delicacy. It is not widely distributed; in Vietnam’s seas, it mainly appears around Côn Đảo, Cù Lao Chàm, and specifically in Bình Thuận province, it is abundant around the island district of Phú Quý.

Cone shell snails in Phú Quý are available year-round but appear most during the full moon. To harvest them, fishermen use knives to pry them out from crevices in the rocks. Preparation is quite simple—boiling, steaming, or grilling brings out their tender, sweet, and wonderful flavor, living up to their name, Lady’s Breast Snail. Additionally, cone shell snails can be made into salads or other appealing dishes.

Phú Quý Island is famous for many seafood specialties such as lobster, cobia fish, and emperor crab. However, seafood connoisseurs visiting here always mention the cone shell snail. Coming to Phú Quý, visitors are sure to be captivated by the deep blue sea, gentle people, and especially enchanted by the evocative name of this unique delicacy: Lady’s Breast Snail!

There are three cone shell snail dishes that local fishermen in Phú Quý recommend as the most delicious:

1. Boiled: This is the most common method fishermen use as it preserves the snail’s natural flavor. The key is to boil just the right amount of time—7 to 10 minutes until the snail is cooked through, then immediately stop heating. Overcooking will toughen and shrink the meat, ruining its taste.
2. Cone Shell Snail Salad: Also popular for its fresh taste. The snails are briefly boiled, then the meat is removed and cut into bite-sized pieces. The salad is mixed with pork belly slices, thinly sliced cucumber, Vietnamese coriander, crushed peanuts, and fried shallots. The unique flavor comes from a dressing made of lime juice mixed with sugar and a little anchovy fish sauce.
3. Grilled Cone Shell Snail: The whole snail is cleaned thoroughly, then arranged on a grill over glowing charcoal. The snails should be grilled slowly over gentle heat, avoiding too intense flames. The moderate heat cooks the meat evenly inside and out, releasing a natural sweet and fragrant aroma.