Embark on a sensory adventure in Phan Thiet with the sand worm delicacy

Sand worms are a unique delicacy of Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province. A trip to Phan Thiet without trying sand worms is like never truly experiencing this land.

However, if you've never indulged in reptile dishes, you might need a bit of courage to try this unique culinary delight.

Sand worms are reptiles primarily found in deserts and sandy hills. They can withstand long periods without water, thrive in hot and dry environments, hence earning the title of kings of the sand hills.

Sand worms have long been considered a specialty dish of

Phan Thiet. Besides natural catching, there are now many sand worm farms in Phan Thiet. When bringing sand worms to the farms, people create separate living environments for them and take good care of them. Since sand worms often dig burrows and live in them, sand worm farmers have to build underground walls 1.5 meters deep, and the walls above the ground must also be higher than 1.2 meters to prevent sand worms from escaping.

Sand worms can be prepared into various delicious dishes such as grilled sand worms, stir-fried sand worms with lemongrass and chili, sand worm salad, sand worms cooked with pickled watermelon. Each dish is delightful and unforgettable. Sand worm meat is similar to chicken but firmer, tender, and sweeter.

Grilled sand worm is an easy-to-make dish with a more enjoyable taste. Choose a firm meaty sand worm, weighing about 300 grams. When catching live sand worms, quickly break their backbones to prevent them from thrashing. After cleaning the skin, marinate the sand worm with chili salt and satay sauce for about 15 minutes, then grill over charcoal until the meat firms up, turns slightly golden, and emits a fragrant aroma. The sand worm meat is soft yet firm, sweet, and flavorful, perfect for nibbling with wine or beer on hot summer days.

Sand worm salad is also a favorite dish among tourists just like grilled sand worms. To make the salad, finely chop the whole sand worm, stir-fry until cooked, then mix with shredded coconut or mango, aromatic herbs, crispy roasted peanuts, diluted fish sauce, and especially with sautéed sand worm leaves, a type of leaf resembling young intestines, found on the dry rock walls, emitting a faint bitter taste. Enjoy the sand worm salad with grilled rice paper, thick and crunchy, golden brown, and endlessly satisfying.

Sand worm sausage is made by finely grinding sand worm meat and mixing it with various spices such as chili, onions, pepper, garlic, lard, and cooking oil. Additionally, a small amount of chopped mushrooms and basil are mixed in. This mixture is then rolled into thin rice paper rolls with fingers and fried until crispy in hot oil. Sand worm sausage is not only a delicious appetizer but also a perfect accompaniment to rice dishes.

After a drinking session, connoisseurs may want to sip a steaming bowl of hot sand worm congee. Sand worm meat for congee is also finely ground, usually leftover from making sausage. Before cooking the congee, the sand worm meat is sautéed with cooking oil and then boiled. The rice for cooking congee should be fragrant, briefly soaked in water, then poured into the boiling water with sautéed meat, seasoned with salt, seasoning powder, onions, and pepper to taste, resulting in a warm and nourishing bowl of congee.

Such simple yet delicious dishes from the coastal sand dunes have entranced many travelers, enticing them to return to this sunny and windy land.

Source: Depplus

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Reference: Travel Guide from Mytour

MytourJuly 3, 2014