10 strangest Vietnamese dishes

Overview

Vietnam is a culinary paradise because not only does it have delicious dishes that are among the top in the world, but the food here is also cheap. However, many tourists are also extremely surprised when Vietnam also possesses many extremely strange and somewhat terrifying dishes. The best Vietnam tour operator will introduce to you the top 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes.

1. Balut (Trung vit lon)

Balut is a familiar dish in Vietnamese cuisine. Most Vietnamese people like to eat Balut. In spite of possessing a weird and attractive appearance, this dish is a rich source of nutrients. Putting its ugly outlooking aside, balut is the best to eat with a little salt, garlic, hot chilly, squeezing a half of lemon, and being accompanied by Vietnamese coriander leaves. 

However, this is regarded as one of 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes amongst foreign people because they don't think that people can eat baby chickens or ducks. When we break the egg, we will see the whole body of the baby duck scrolling under the egg crust, which is kinda scary. 

Many foreigners don’t even dare to look into the “thing” inside the egg. Some people are courageous enough to have a taste, but after that try not to vomit, creating an ironic situation. It is not surprising when it is listed as one of 20 worst dishes in the world by Dailymail.

2. Blood pudding (Tiet Canh)

Leaving comments about this dish, many foreigners consider this as a scary dish; still, many are excited to try this again. So blood pudding can not be missed in the list of 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes.

This is a unique dish of Vietnamese cuisine, which doesn’t appear in other countries at all. Vietnamese people often use duck or pig blood to make Tiet Canh. They believe that Tiet Canh is a nutritious dish, and a must in common parties. 

Tiet Canh is not only one of 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes, but one of the 10 world's scariest dishes. The horrible element of this dish comes from fresh blood, without overcoming any cooking or complex recipe. In other countries, blood is often removed; yet, Vietnamese people retain it, wait for it to transform into jelly-like texture, ang enjoy it fresh. This is similar to horrible scenes in horror movies, according to many foreign people.

Some of my friends invited me to eat it. I was curious to try a piece but I almost vomited because it was too scary. I didn't like it because the blood was coagulated and not cooked. and the taste is terrible, I find it difficult to eat. In my country they do not eat blood or animal organs” said František Srnec, from the Czech Republic.

3. Mam Tom (shrimp paste)

Vietnamese people are famous for using Nuoc Mam (Fish sauce) for cooking and dipping everything on the food tray. Bur to foreigners, Nuoc Mam has a strong, salty and fishy smell. However, the most “smelly” sauce in Vietnamese cuisine must be Mam Tom (shrimp paste). The smell of this is unique and rare that not anyone dares to try.

The problem with shrimp paste that many people are concerned about is hygiene. Vietnamese shrimp paste is prone to draw a lot of insects throughout the brewing and preserving procedures, which can give consumers stomachaches. Many people are particularly concerned about the safety of shrimp because they are totally treated in raw form from beginning to end rather than being heated. Due to the meal's typical flavor, it is difficult for the taster to discern between clean and dirty plates. 

4. Cobra heart (tim ran)

This is the dish that people can eat when it is still showing the signal of life. When the small heart is taken from the cobra’s body with a knife, it is put into a small glass containing strong rice white. The combination of Cobra heart and strong wine is believed to be an effective recipe to enhance your manliness and bio-power. 

This dish is weird because it is eaten alive again, as well as its reasons for boosting male vitality. You can see the heart is still beating when it is ripped off from the snake till it is put into the wine glass. Drinking it right away can be a true challenge. CAn you dare to try this one of top 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes?

Gordon Ramsay - a famous American masterchef in his visit to Vietnam used to experience this exotic dish. Under the urges and promises of its effectiveness from Vietnamese friends, he finally raised the glass and drank it as fast as possible as if trying not to feel anything. He must have felt a little bit uncomfortable about this weird dish but he completed the challenge in the end. 

5. Coconut worm (Duong Dua)

Duong Dua is the next dish that Vietnamese people eat when they are still alive, worth being one of 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes. 

The coconut worm is found most in Southern provinces in Vietnam, where coconuts strongly grow. As its name suggests, these worms are found in coconut tree’s bodies, which bring about the fragrant flavor and plum bulks of the worms. 

Vietnamese people enjoy this dish in a very simple way. They just need to dip these coconut worms into a fish sauce bowl with some slices of chili. As easy as the way to serve, it is not an easy challenge to foreigners. Can you dare to pick up a larva crawling in the bowl, put it in your mouth and have a bite? This must be an interesting and brand-new experience because it is pretty chewy and can pop up in your mouth when you bite it.

In case you don't want to eat raw larvae but are still curious about the taste, eat cooked coconut weevils. Some popular dishes you can find are grilled coconut weevils, fried coconut weevils in butter, coconut weevils steamed with coconut water or coconut weevil porridge.

6. Kopi Luwak (Ca phe chon)

Weasel coffee (Kopi Luwak coffee) is also known as weasel dung coffee. Weasels are animals that like to eat coffee beans. When they eat coffee beans, they will release the outer shell, swallowing the meat and coffee beans. However, ferrets cannot digest coffee beans, so they will excrete these coffee beans when they poop. That Vietnamese people will use these beans to dry, grind and drink gives foreigners a perfect shock.

Nevertheless, Vietnamese people believe that when coffee beans go into a weasel's stomach, they are fermented by a special enzyme, which brings about a chocolate-like fragrance and unique taste. The final result is that the bitterness is reduced and the flavor is boosted, making kopi Luwak more attractive than common types of coffee.

Knowing these features, not many foreigners dare to have a sip. Because when they think of the fact that this coffee is actually the weasel’s dungs, they can not continue.

7. Sandworm pancake (Cha ruoi)

Considered a delicious and sophisticated specialty, many people think this is "not for people who get nauseous easily". Maybe this comes from the main ingredient of the dish made from worms - mollusks shaped like worms, often living in brackish or salt water.

To make this dish, fresh sandworms are mixed with chicken eggs, a little ground pork, tangerine peel, cumin, scallions, pepper, a little fish sauce and some spices. Then, the mixture is fried into small pieces and enjoyed hot with dipping sauce.

This dish is listed in the top 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes, because no one can imagine that worms are still edible. However, when it is mixed with other ingredients and spices, as well as fried over oil to become crispy and golden pancakes, Cha Ruoi becomes a delicious dish. 

8. De Chien (fried crickets)

Compared to the dishes above on the list of 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes, fried crickets are not too scary. This dish is strange to foreigners because they have never tried eating insects like Vietnamese people.

This is a dish found in many provinces in Vietnam, but is most famous as a specialty of Yen Bai province. There are many ways to prepare crickets such as roasted crickets with salt and chili, grilled crickets, fried crickets in flour, fried crickets in butter, cricket salad, braised crickets with pepper... equally attractive.

If you can ignore the fact that this is a dish made from insects, then you can enjoy it, because the taste is not too bad

9. Mouse meat

Rats are an unusual delicacy that often appears in the fields of Vietnamese countryside, especially the Mekong Delta. However, not all mice can be turned into food. Only rats that eat rice in the fields can cook it without causing danger.

Farmers would skin it and then grill, steam, deep-fry or make curry with the tiny rodent. Maybe eating rat meat sounds a bit weird but it's delicious. Rat meat is soft, many people think it tastes better than beef, pork, and chicken.

10. Frog meat

Frogs are often used as a snack when drinking beer or as a main meal by Vietnamese people. Frogs can often be found in the rice paddles all year round, but the peak season is spring or summer. After being skinned and gutted, the frog will be fried, steamed or grilled and then served on the dining table.

Eating frogs is rare. Many people never think of eating frog meat, so they name this dish one of 10 strangest Vietnamese dishes. If you can overcome the beginning fear, you can try this dish.