Vietnam is a paradise for food lovers with a variety of flavors and specialties. However some of the dishes are seen weird and even adventurous tourists find them hard to try out.
Tourism is a major player in Vietnam’s economy. It is well known for its natural beauty and rich heritage. On top of that Vietnam also offers a wide array of cuisines. Some of them are creepy and weird to foreign visitors but to the locals they are considered to be appetizing. Here below are top 10 bizarre foods in Vietnam that may scare visitors.
Balut (trứng vịt lộn)
This is one of the famous dishes in Vietnam. Nevertheless, it’s also in the top 10 horror foods on the planet. This dish is made from the duck egg when it’s still on its embryo stage. Can you imagine the developing dark image and small feathers? This scene is not very appetizing to many foreigners and may even cause stomach problems to those who are sensitive. Balut is offered at the street kiosks and also small restaurants all over the country.
Peanut worms (Sá sùng)
The peanut worms have a scary look by just seeing it served. The dish is made of peanut worms which look just like other worms but are slightly bigger. The worms mainly consist of sand innards as they are found in caves. They are served by being grilled to become crunchy, soft but also tough and have a unique taste.
The coconut beetle-larvae (đuông dừa)
The coconut beetles are mainly found at the coconut stems. At the southern part of Vietnam, the coconut beetle larvae are eaten alive with fish sauce. They can also be grilled, fried, boiled or cooked with rice. They are very nutritious in protein but many foreigners get disgusted by just looking at them. The coconut beetle larvae dishes are quite common in Vietnam and are even offered in luxurious hotels and at the street kiosks.
Fried white cricket
This is a scrumptious dish taken with beer or wine. The sight of a plateful served with fried white crickets looks terrifying to many tourists. For the locals, this is a delicious cuisine which is also found to have a lot of health benefits. The white crickets are believed to have a taste such as that of shrimps and crabs.
Mouse meat
Did you know that mice are considered a luxurious dish in Vietnam? Yes, the locals in Vietnam consider mice meat to be very expensive. You can find more than 30 dishes made from mice meat. Such dishes cost for more than 5USD a plate!! Many foreigners however would not try a dish made from mice. That is just weird!
Blood pudding
In Vietnam this dish is named as Tiết Canh. The main ingredient of this pudding is animal blood. The animals used to make it include pigs and ducks. The blood is mixed with fish sauce or diluted salt water to prevent premature coagulation. The innards of an animal or meat is added to the blood to enhance the coagulation. The blood pudding has been ranked to be one of the world’s most scary foods.
Fermented shrimp paste
The main ingredients are shrimps and salt. Many find shrimps to be a delicacy but can you imagine fermented shrimp? The fermenting of the shrimps gives a foul smell that many can’t stand. Also the idea of eating a meal with fermented shrimp paste sounds so awkward. The paste is served with various dishes such as fried tofu and white noodle (Bún)
Snake meat
Vietnam has a variety of snake species. Not all snakes are used to make cuisines. Some of the popular snakes used for food include: Chinese rat snake, Chinese cobra and banded krait. Foreigners choose not to try this dish because it has a terrible smell. The image of the chef slicing the snake is also a turn off to enjoy this meal.
Animal organs
Many countries in the world do not eat the innards of animals. However, in Vietnam any part of an animal can be used to make certain dishes. Many foreigners find this strange and would rather not try eating animal organs they are not accustomed to eating.
Dog meat
Dog or cat meat is one of the favorite dishes by the Vietnamese. They have dishes such as boiled dog meat, dog sausage, grilled dog meat just to mentions a few. Many foreigners find this creepy especially those who have dogs as their loyal pets at their home countries.
“One man’s meat is another man’s poison”. As much as foreigners find the above dishes creepy and scary, the locals see them as specialties. Many of these dishes are even good for health when they contain a lot of proteins and help to cure diseases related to bones and joints. Some also have a unique taste and not as bad as they are perceived. All you need is just a bit of courage and they might even turn to be your best delicacy.
