Răng Mực: Grilled Squid Teeth from Phan Thiết

Răng mực, squid teeth (often called “octopus teeth” in English), are the tiny round pieces at the head of the squid. People used to take them for the squid’s eyes or mouth and threw them away when preparing the rest. Today they’re a popular traditional food, largely thanks to Phan Thiết, where locals eat them everywhere and at any time of day. Visitors to the town are often curious to try them.

How răng mực is prepared

Squid itself is cooked in plenty of ways: grilled, roasted or fried. What leaves the strongest impression, though, is the dish made from the teeth, grilled with chilli paste or with chilli salt.

Before cooking, the two tiny brown, horn-like pieces in each tooth are taken out. The teeth are then seasoned with chilli, pepper or satay. They go onto a grill over hot coals, and once the white of the teeth turns yellow and they smell good, they’re ready to eat.

How to eat it

Eat them with herbs and chilli sauce. The draw is the combination: the crunch of the teeth, the heat of the chilli and satay, and the smell of fish sauce. It’s the kind of dish people find hard to stop eating.

Finding a good place

How good squid teeth taste depends on what goes onto them, so it’s worth choosing where you eat. A simple rule: pick the place with the most customers.

Phan Thiết is the place to try them. If you can’t get there, some restaurants in Bình Thạnh district in Ho Chi Minh City serve them too, at prices most people will find reasonable.