In front of a stall at Market No. 1, the steady thud of a wooden pestle pounding squid paste never lets up — golden, crispy squid-paste balls come straight off the pan. This is Hạ Long's most iconic seafood snack, one the media calls the province's "tourism ambassador" — but that title turns out to hide a story that only became clear after some digging.
Nearly 300 stalls in one market cluster, with hand-pounding as the core craft
halongbay.com.vn's feature "Chả mực - Đại sứ du lịch của Quảng Ninh" introduces the dish, and the private records organization VietKings included Hạ Long's chả mực among its nationwide Top 50 specialties. Travel outlets mia.vn ("8 addresses"), toplist.vn ("Top 6 addresses"), dulichtoday.vn ("Top 10 addresses"), and iVIVU ("13 món đặc sản Hạ Long") cross-confirm the core craft: fresh, whole squid hand-pounded (giã tay, with a wooden pestle and stone mortar) into a paste, giving it a springy, delicate texture. Among the nearly 300 stalls at Chợ Hạ Long 1 (Hạ Long Market No. 1), several are well-established, named shops making chả mực by hand — Chả Mực Hiền Nhung (stalls 228-230), Chả Mực Thoan (in the cooked-food section, stalls 36-37, established 1998), and Chả Mực Dasavina (stalls 46-47, on Phố Lê Quý Đôn) — alongside brands like Chả Mực Phúc and Gia Phúc.
Honest clarification: "tourism ambassador" is a media label, not an official certification number
It has to be said honestly that the phrase "Quảng Ninh's tourism ambassador" (đại sứ du lịch), after verification, traces back to promotional language used by tourism outlets like halongbay.com.vn — no specific provincial government decision number could be found backing it up. This entry honestly marks it as a media-and-industry consensus title, not a legally certified designation. By contrast, VietKings' (a private records organization, not a government body) nationwide Top 50 specialty certification does have a verifiable source, and the two shouldn't be conflated. It's also worth noting that the texture of hand-pounded (giã tay) squid paste differs noticeably from the machine-blended version — several media outlets warn that machine-made paste passed off as handmade isn't uncommon in the market, so it's worth checking whether a stall demonstrates its pounding process on the spot.
How to Buy It Like a Local
- Chợ Hạ Long 1 has nearly 300 stalls — Hiền Nhung, Thoan, and Dasavina are all well-established, named shops worth comparing on the spot.
- Check whether a stall demonstrates its hand-pounding in person, to avoid a machine-made version passed off as handmade.
- For a local breakfast pairing, try it with white sticky rice (xôi trắng chả mực) — a common way locals eat it.
An Honest Look at This Squid Paste's Origins
- "Tourism ambassador," after verification, turns out to be promotional language, not an official provincial certification.
- VietKings' nationwide Top 50 specialty certification, from a private records organization, has a verifiable source and is a different kind of recognition than the "ambassador" title.
- The administrative ward where Chợ Hạ Long 1 sits went through two rounds of mergers in 2024 and 2025, though the market's physical location hasn't changed.
Bite through the crispy shell and the springy squid paste bounces between your teeth, a sweet brininess rushing straight to your head — whether this ball of paste truly deserves the title "tourism ambassador" is up for debate, but the line of people waiting at the stall has already cast its vote.