Vietnam - the Asia's Leading Culinary Destination

Before being honored as the 'Asia's Leading Culinary Destination' at the Oscars of WTA world travel on October 12, many Vietnamese food were appealed to tourists such as Pho, spring rolls, and Bun cha.

CNN (USA) has many times introduced Vietnamese food in their Travel section. Let investigate these following traditional authentic food in Vietnam which receive lots of compliments from both foreign tourists and journalists.

Cao Lau Hoi An

According to CNN, Hoi An is one of the top destinations for culinary tourism in Vietnam, and Cao Lau is considered the symbol of this city.

In Cao Lau, there are thin slices of pork that recollect Chinese char siu, and French Crouton bread, and the noodles are very similar to Japanese udon.

This type of noodles makes Cao Lau a very unique feature. The noodles are made from long grain rice and must be soaked in water from an old well called Ba Le in Hoi An, so that the noodles are limber and dry. Rice is soaked, ground and mixed with water in the well and stuffed into flour before rolling, then steamed over fire to make the noodles have a yellow color and satisfactory texture.

Famous Cao Lau in Hoi An - Photo: CNN

At the 26th World Travel Awards (WTA) on 12 October, Hoi An was also awarded as the Asia's leading Cultural City.

Grilled chopped fish - Cha ca

"Hanoians consider the grilled chopped fish (Cha ca) so special that there is even a street in the capital for this food - Cha Ca street," wrote CNN.

Foreign tourists coming to Hanoi cannot miss this food. Pieces of fish marinated with turmeric, not rolled through dough, are fried directly on the pan at the customers’ tables with spices, onions and dill.

One of the most famous restaurants in Hanoi is Cha ca La Vong that is over a century old. Cha ca was served by a Doan family to soldiers during the French colonial period in 130 years ago.

Typical Cha ca of Hanoi - Photo: CNN

Bun cha

The top suggested dish for lunch in Hanoi is Bun cha. It is not difficult to find a Bun cha restaurant, tourists can only need to choose a place that smells of barbecue and smoke emanate after 11am, when street food stalls start grilling minced meatballs and slices of marinated pork on charcoal.

After being grilled, the meat is arranged in a large bowl with noodles, fish sauce, and a basket of different herbs.

Bun cha has been famous for international visitors since 2016, after the former President Obama enjoyed it during his visit to Vietnam.

Bun cha is ideal for lunch - Photo: Flickr

Banh mi

"The French brought the baguette to Vietnam, but it was Vietnam that took it to a new level," CNN praised.

In the North, Banh mi is a symphony of basic elements including starch, fat and protein, which are bread, butter and pate. However, in the South, Banh mi becomes more delicious and colorful with cheese, ham, pickles, sausages, omelettes, coriander and chutney.

Vietnam Banh mi is famous in the world - Photo: Getty

Sizzling pancake - Banh xeo

A delicious Banh xeo must have crunchy crust, inside filled with barbecue, shrimp, bean sprouts and lots of herbs.

To eat like a native, CNN advises visitors to cut Banh xeo into bite-sized pieces, then roll with rice paper or lettuce leaves and dip in a typical fish sauce for the pancake.

Banh xeo with shrimp and pork - Photo: CNN

Fresh spring rolls - Goi cuon

"When you have tasted too much of fried food in Vietnam, these delicious and healthy spring rolls are a great choice," wrote CNN.

Roll with rice paper to reveal fresh green salad, shrimp slices, and pork hidden behind coriander fibers. The spring rolls are dipped with the Vietnamese favorite sauce - fish sauce.

Fresh spring rolls are a good choice for health - Photo: CNN

Pho

"It is extremely easy to see groups of people eating Pho at any street in the big cities of Vietnam," CNN wrote.

Pho is very simple, only consists of broth made from beef bones, fresh noodles, sprinkled with onions, cilantro and slices of beef or chicken. Pho is a cheap dish, and easy to find at any time of the day.

Pho is a delicious and cheap dish - Photo: Flickr

Egg coffee

"Vietnam's egg coffee is actually a drink, but we want to list it as a dessert" CNN said.

The soft white meringue-like foam egg layer floating on the dense Vietnamese coffee layers makes customers excited.

In Hanoi, the entrance to one of the famous egg coffee shops is quite tricky. Visitors have to follow a small alley through the souvenir shops on Hang Gai Street and climb the steep stairs to enjoy the egg coffee with the beautiful view of Hoan Kiem Lake from above.

Egg coffee, a dessert loved by many travelers - Photo: Flickr

If you want to taste the authentic Vietnamese cuisine, you can contact Travel Authentic Asia for a food tour in any destination you want via email: [email protected] or WhatApp: +84 912221442.