Besides well-known specialties like coconut candy and macapuno, Ben Tre has many other specialties that many people may not know about and don’t have the opportunity to try. One of them is chuot dua.

According to locals, coconut mice are similar to field mice, but live in coconut trees. They eat coconut heart, a delicious and nutritious snack, and destroy the fruit to drink coconut water and eat copra.

Benefiting from these nutrients, the mouse is praised for its delectable flavor, with firm and slightly chewy meat that delivers a naturally sweet taste.

Thuy Ly, a supplier of coconut mice in Giong Trom District in Ben Tre, said at first, locals hunted mice to protect their coconut gardens and ensure fruit yield.

Later, as coconut mouse meat gained popularity and became a delicacy, they hunted for mice to sell to merchants and restaurants.

"Hunting coconut mice is quite arduous and requires experience. Besides using traps, Ben Tre locals use a manual method by stirring their nests in coconut trees, waiting for them to flee onto branches, then capturing them with specialized tools," said Ly.

Coconut mice are small, about 8-9 mice per kilogram, but its meat is delicious. This, plus the difficulties in catching, makes coconut mice very expensive, VND150,000-200,000 per kilogram, after preliminary treatment.

As Tet holiday nears, coconut mice are getting more expensive.

According to Ly, in Ben Tre, coconut mice can be used to process many attractive dishes by steaming, pan-frying, stir-frying, and braising. However, grilled coconut rats are the most popular and flavorful.

To ensure tastiness and aroma, the rats must be carefully and meticulously cleaned. 

"Once cleaned, the coconut rat meat is marinated with minced onions, garlic, lemongrass, and chili, with salt, pepper, and five-spice powder added as needed. After 15-20 minutes, the meat is ready for grilling," Ly said.

Coconut rats are best when grilled over charcoal, with an even, moderate flame; the meat is flipped regularly to ensure even cooking, yielding a crispy, golden skin.

Thanks to meticulous seasoning, the freshly grilled coconut rat can be savored immediately without the need for additional dipping sauce.

My Duyen from HCM City, who has tried grilled coconut rat in Ben Tre a few times, said diners may hesitate when first seeing the dishes, but they are uniquely appealing.

"Coconut rat meat combines firmness, slight chewiness, softness, and richness. You'll taste the coconut aroma infused into the meat; it's even more delightful than wild frog or free-range chicken,” she said.

Thao Trinh