Tourists with a taste for lobster head to Koh Libong
Tourists have been flocking to Koh Libong in Trang province to taste the iconic delicacy known as “7-colour lobster”, which local farmers have been raising in offshore farms in the Andaman Sea off Thailand’s west coast.
Prasit Bensa-ard, 51, who has been raising lobsters for over three decades, said on Thursday that his 70 or 80 fully grown 7-colour lobsters have been reserved by local restaurants. The crustacean delicacy goes for 2,500-3,000 baht per kilogram, generating substantial income for the fishing community.
He added that tourists are especially interested in trying the Lobster Sashimi during the New Year holidays. The reason for its surge in popularity could be because Thais call lobster “kung mangkorn”, or dragon prawn, which coincides with the dragon zodiac sign for 2024 in Chinese astrology.
Prasit said farmers buy young lobsters caught by fishing boats at 100-500 baht apiece, depending on the size, and raise them in the farms for another 8-10 months until they reach a minimum weight of 1 kg.
“7-colour lobsters are fed fish and shellfish twice a day, so the meat tastes slightly of seafood and has a seawater aroma,” he said. “Lobsters grown at Koh Libong have lots of meat and colourful shells, which gives them the name 7-colour lobster.”
Local restaurants offer lobsters as sashimi, grilled and stir-fried with curry. They also provide a home delivery service for those wanting to serve this luxurious dish at their New Year parties.
