A small Teochew porridge shop tucked away in an alley in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City has been serving customers for years and recently garnered increased attention with a unique and somewhat unconventional side dish: peanut worms.

The shop, located at 104/22B Trinh Dinh Trong Street, offers porridge prepared in traditional Teochew recipes, featuring plain rice porridge served with various optional accompaniments such as meat, offal, shrimp, fish, and peanut worms.

The porridge is served with crown daisy, pickled or fresh ginger, and deep-fried dough sticks, all complemented with soy sauce or fish sauce.

A full-topping bowl fetches around VND70,000 (U$2.79), while the standard and smaller portions are priced at VND60,000 ($2.39) and VND50,000 ($1.99), respectively, with fewer accompaniments.

Diners can also order meat, offal, seafood, or peanut worms with broth only and without porridge.

The peanut worms used at this shop are fresh, resembling a finger-long stick with distinctive stripes running along its body. 

These stripes are actually the worm's internal structure, as its digestive tract contains significant mud, requiring it to be turned inside out for cleaning.

Khanh Binh, the shop owner's daughter, explains that the peanut worms are first prepared by market vendors, then thoroughly washed several times in salt water before being soaked in ice water to keep them crisp.

Like other ingredients, peanut worms are kept fresh until an order is placed. 

They are cooked with spices and added to the steaming hot porridge upon request.

The peanut worms have a chewy and slightly crispy texture, and a slightly earthy fragrance.

This dish is best enjoyed hot, as the worms tend to become chewy if they sit for too long.

A four-decade hidden gem

Located in a narrow alley, the shop which has been operating for over 40 years primarily attracts regular customers.

In recent years, it has seen an increase in curious visitors, particularly on weekends, eager to try the peanut worms.

The shop was originally opened by Binh’s father after he learned the porridge recipe from a Teochew relative. 

Initially, the shop's menu featured only pork and offal but later expanded to include seafood.

Peanut worms were introduced to the menu about 10-15 years ago.

Normally, the worms are stir-fried with garlic as a daily meal dish favored by the local Chinese community. 

Eventually, Binh's father added peanut worms to his porridge to offer something new and enhance competitiveness for his shop.

The move received positive feedback from customers.

Now managed by Binh’s brother and his wife, the shop continues to prepare porridge from early morning.

The porridge is made using seasoned rice, cooked for an hour until the grains are soft.

When customers order, fresh ingredients are cooked with a special seasoning blend and added to the porridge.

The bowl of porridge is later seasoned with onions and a touch of sesame oil before being served.

The venue operates from 6:00 am to 11:00 am and reopens from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm, with additional dishes such as stewed black chicken, pig brain, pig heart, and bull testicles being offered in the afternoon and evening.

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