Top 14 “unique” dishes only in Vietnam

Booking.com

The cuisine is always an endless source of inspiration for people, it is the unique features of each region’s cuisine that have created a colorful culinary world. Vietnamese cuisine is very diverse and there are many unique dishes but also extremely delicious and nutritious. Let’s discover which dishes will be “unique” in our country.

Pudding

Blood pudding is a fresh dish using raw animal blood mixed with a little fish sauce or brine to keep it from freezing. Next, the blood is mixed with the chopped meat and cartilage to freeze the blood. This way of preparing dishes is very popular in Vietnamese cuisine from North to South. But never seen in the cuisine of anywhere else in the world and perhaps also extremely rare in the overseas Vietnamese community.

Normal blood pudding is the blood of pigs, swans, ducks, goats, and dogs. In blood sugar soup, liver, intestines, gizzards can be chopped and served with roasted peanuts, pepper, herbs, and lemon juice. This is a dish that often appears at dinner parties. However, at present, the state has banned the sale of this dish to ensure the health and safety of those who have died from eating blood pudding.

In blood sugar soup, liver, intestines, gizzards can be chopped and served with roasted peanuts, pepper, herbs and lemon juice.
In blood sugar soup, liver, intestines, gizzards can be chopped and served with roasted peanuts, pepper, herbs and lemon juice.

Balut

Duck eggs, also known as “duck nuts”, is a dish made from duck eggs when the embryo has developed into shape. Duck eggs are one of the popular snacks in Vietnam. Conceived in Eastern countries as a nutritious food. Eggs are sold at street corners or at small food stalls. This dish is also popular in some other Asian countries such as: China, the Philippines and Cambodia (however, the processing method is a bit different).

Balut
In Vietnam, it is usually an old duck embryo from 9 to 11 days old. The dish is always eaten with laksa leaves and dried salt and pepper or salt and pepper with lemon (kumquat), in some other localities also served with sweet and sour food. In addition, eggs also have other variations such as: duck eggs dipped in hot pot, fried duck eggs, quail eggs and mortar duck eggs. After hard-boiling eggs, breaking into a cup and adding a little spice to serve with laksa leaves, this dish will make you fall in love immediately. However, many foreigners feel disgusted, even disgusted with this dish.

Duck eggs in Vietnam are usually old duck embryos from 9 to 11 days old.
Duck eggs in Vietnam are usually old duck embryos from 9 to 11 days old.

Termite Porridge

The bowl of termite porridge with the brown color of termites has a very specific and nutritious aroma that has long become a unique feature in the cuisine of the Co Tu people. This is a special dish of this nation. The termite catching season takes place from March to August of the lunar calendar, people take advantage of catching termites to roast them, roast them with fish sauce or pound them with salt.

After catching termites, it must be washed gently several times, drained and cooked fresh rice or cassava porridge. The way to prepare termite porridge is very simple. When the rice is cooked, put the roasted termites in the pot, wait for it to boil again, and then season with spices to taste, there is a bowl of termite porridge with a very characteristic aroma, delicious and nutritious. Nothing is more interesting than when you enjoy the fragrant, fatty and sweet taste of this rather strange dish in the rainy season.

Ingredients to cook termite porridge.
Ingredients to cook termite porridge.

Grilled field mouse

No stranger to Vietnamese people, hamsters are processed into many different dishes such as: grilled hamsters, roti, sautéed with lemongrass and chili, sautéed… Nowadays, field mice have become a specialty of the locals. restaurant, restaurant . At district markets, field mice are sold for between 50,000 and 70,000 VND/kg. Besides, field mouse hunting also creates jobs for rural workers in the flood season.

The fat, firm and delicious field mice are the best time after harvesting the rice fields. Usually after the winter-spring rice crop and the summer-autumn crop. When the rice is harvested, people in the Western Delta (Mekong Delta) will go to catch mice and sell them. In the old days, rats were caught quite easily and simply. However, now, due to the increasing number of catches, they are forced to fish more sophisticatedly. The picture points are net traps, traps, burrowing, lighting at night…

Currently, hamsters have become a specialty of restaurants and restaurants.
Currently, hamsters have become a specialty of restaurants and restaurants.

Dishes from Grasshoppers and Bugs

When hearing the name of roasted bugs or roasted grasshoppers, many people think this is a weird dish and do not dare to eat it. If you set foot in (Son La) tourism in the summer days, you should try this unique roasted stink bug to know why people can call this dish a specialty of Son La.

Bugs and grasshoppers are both pests that cause damage to crops and humans. However, if processed carefully, the dish will be delicious. After deodorizing, cut off all the wings and remove the tail, put it in a frying pan until golden brown, season with spices, and then remove to a plate. Each region has its own specialties and different characteristics, this seemingly gruesome dish has a bold country flavor.

Roasted locusts
Roasted locusts

Roasted silkworm pupae

To process roasted silkworm pupae with lemon leaves , Thai ethnic people (Son La) often choose fresh silkworm pupae, which are not crushed and blackened, the outer shell is shiny yellow. After that, wash them and blanch them in boiling water, then take them out into a basket to drain. The seasonings for the preparation of roasted pupae include: sliced ​​lemongrass, scallions with finely chopped chili, salt, main noodles, purple onions, smashed and chopped. After preparing the seasoning, the Thai people put the pan on the stove to add a little cooking oil and sauté the onions, then roast until the pupa turns yellow.

Silkworm pupa is a familiar dish in people’s daily meals, especially in localities with silkworm rearing. There are two types of pupae commonly used as food: bee pupae and silkworm pupae. The pupa is a precious and nutritious food, especially because of its high protein content, supporting the treatment of impotence, tonic kidney and yang, especially good for men.

Silkworm pupa is a familiar dish in people's daily meals, especially in localities where silkworm farming is practiced.
Silkworm pupa is a familiar dish in people’s daily meals, especially in localities where silkworm farming is practiced.

Crispy fried crickets

Cricket is a dish made from insects that is very popular today . From a rural food, cricket meat is growing into one of the specialties that attract gourmets . The processing of dishes from crickets upwards is quite popular today, because the specialty of crickets is very strange and delicious. Dishes made from crickets have high nutritional value, high in fat, protein and microelements.

Some studies in the world show that in the protein composition of crickets there is an amino acid that cannot be replaced such as: Cysteine ​​and Methionine… Chitin content of adult crickets accounts for 8.7% and has better quality than that of adult crickets. Shrimp and Crab. Some popular dishes such as: crispy fried crickets, meat rolls, grilled, roasted with salt and chili… Crickets must be agile, healthy with full legs and claws to be delicious. How to prepare: put crickets in cold water with a little dilute salt, soak 2 times for 3 to 5 minutes so that crickets die quickly, clean and safe to process. Squeeze the belly, remove the intestines to clean the crickets, marinate them with fish sauce, pepper, onions, garlic, and monosodium glutamate to absorb and then start frying until golden.

Dishes made from crickets have high nutritional value, high in fat, protein and microelements.
Dishes made from crickets have high nutritional value, high in fat, protein and microelements.

Fried Worms

Turtle is a famous specialty in the North of our country and the most famous is Tu Ky – Hai Duong. Housewives can process it into many different delicious dishes, such as spring rolls, braised earthen pots, stir-fried rooibos, steamed, salt-roasted, bamboo shoots, and even curries. Rooi but the most popular dish is the traditional dish .

However, if you don’t have a lot of time for cooking as well as making fresh spring rolls, buying ready-made spring rolls is the perfect idea for a family meal. It is both convenient and delicious and nutritious. The shape of the snake is like that of water leeches, but it has many legs like centipedes, the body with many colors makes us feel terrible. However, after processing, ruoi becomes a strangely delicious dish, one of the most special dishes is Cha ruoi.

Fried Worms.
Fried Worms.

Deep-fried cicadas

Cicadas are a specialty in Binh Phuoc . In the season when cicadas start to molt, Binh Phuoc people, especially men, often take turns catching cicadas to make food. Cicadas are processed into many dishes such as porridge, fried flour, fried onions and the most delicious dish is deep fried . After catching ticks, people put them in sealed bags, wash them in dilute salt water so that they can’t grow wings but escape. In order not to be poisoned, after soaking in salt water, the ticks are dipped in boiling water and then washed with cold water. On a hot fire, people put cicadas in a pan of hot oil, when they see them turn yellow, they are ripe.

The golden-bodied mites exude a fragrant aroma and are served with herbs and dipped in chili garlic fish sauce. Put in your mouth, you will feel the greasy and crispy taste with the aroma spreading. Processed cicadas must be new ones that have molted for 30 minutes or less. Dishes from cicadas always impress people to enjoy.

Dishes from cicadas always impress people to enjoy.
Dishes from cicadas always impress people to enjoy.

Dishes from Sa Sung

Sa Sung – An animal that sounds strange but is actually very close to the Vietnamese people from the past to the present, especially the people in the coastal areas. In fact , it is a type of seafood , it lives in caves, under the sand near the sea. Sa worms are most often found in Quang Ninh, Nha Trang, and Con Dao. Where it appears it has different names such as: bait, bi bi, earth ginseng or sea worm. Perhaps that’s why when it comes to the name sage, many people don’t immediately recognize it.

This is a famous specialty of the sea of ​​Quang Ninh, although with the appearance that makes many people surprised with its smooth, soft round body, it is no different from the enlarged earthworm, but it is still processed into many dishes. attractive: like sauteed sage with garlic, soup with sago… Sa worm has many useful uses, it is not only a delicious dish, containing abundant nutrients but also a precious medicine with many Uses such as: treating the heart, or cooling the body . Sa worm contains up to 17 mineral elements, 18 kinds of amino acids. This is a really good dish that you should try once.

Grilled Salmon
Grilled Salmon

Break Lau

Pha Lau has processed almost the whole body of pigs and chickens, but the most delicious is still duck. To complete the dish, the meat is cut into hand-sized pieces and marinated with five spices mixed with high-quality white wine, soy sauce, minced garlic, pepper, and white sugar. Season to taste, leave for about 60 minutes, then put the marinated meat in a pan of boiling oil, fry until hunted, then take out to drain the oil. Put the remaining marinade into the pot with Siamese coconut water to arrange the fried meat, simmer on low heat. The water is shallow, add more coconut water, stew until the water is thick, the meat is soft to eat, then take it out, cut each piece as required. Pha Lau is served with cucumbers, carrots… and the best is dipped with garlic and minced chili sauce.

Pha Lau over time has been modified more or less, but it is still a favorite dish of many generations of Vietnamese students. In the past, people would think of a dish served in a large pot with a charcoal stove below that was sold in front of the school gates. Today, there are many restaurants that are clean, safely processed and offer a variety of choices for young people. Pha Lau is an easy dish to eat at any time, with an affordable price . This will always be a dish that when it comes to Vietnamese street food (especially Saigon), people will immediately think of it.

Pha Lau is an easy dish to eat at any time, at an affordable price.
Pha Lau is an easy dish to eat at any time, at an affordable price.

Hades rice.

The first time coming to Hue, seeing the name of rice in hell on the menu, everyone was curious and wanted to discover it. And then diners will be extremely surprised and delighted when the dish with that unique name mixed with a bit of horror is very beautiful and delicious. The dish is full of ingredients such as fried eggs, spring rolls, spring rolls, grilled meat, cucumber, roasted fresh shrimp … Each type is cut into small strands and then arranged around white rice cooked with An Cuu rice.

Served with Hades rice, it is indispensable to have a cup of fish sauce mixed with garlic, sugar, and lemon juice. Drizzle fish sauce and mix rice with other foods before enjoying, so you can see all the deliciousness of this dish.

The dish is full of ingredients such as fried eggs, spring rolls, spring rolls, grilled meat, cucumbers, roasted fresh shrimp.
The dish is full of ingredients such as fried eggs, spring rolls, spring rolls, grilled meat, cucumbers, roasted fresh shrimp.

Sprouts

If only hearing the name, many people probably wonder and immediately think of the “stone sprout” in the story of Trang Quynh or think that they are about to taste a dish-shaped like … gravel. However, this name actually comes from the way it is processed. When ordering sprout gravel, diners will enjoy wild boar processed in a special way . Each meal includes 3-4 very hot pebbles, used to cook wild boar meat. After being marinated with spices, the wild boar is placed on the gravel. The heat from the pebble will grill and help cook the meat.

For Hau Giang people, sprout gravel is not a sophisticated dish, but without gravel, the dish will lose its soul. And to make a complete dish of sprouted gravel, the main ingredients are wild boar meat and the chef’s talented hands and spices marinated meat. Meat must be wild boar raised by ethnic people on the hills and mountains, weighing only 5-15kg. Because only such pigs can produce delicious, low-fat pieces of meat, suitable for making sprouted gravel.

Each meal consists of 3-4 very hot pebbles, used to cook wild boar meat.
Each meal consists of 3-4 very hot pebbles, used to cook wild boar meat.

Nam pia.

Nam pia is a typical dish of Thai ethnic people in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh. Nam pia Northwestern dish is a traditional delicacy of the Thai ethnic people in the highlands, often appearing at weddings, festivals or banquets for guests. This is considered a specialty dish that visitors should try once when coming to the highlands. “Nam” means “soup” in Thai, and “pia” is a viscous liquid in the small intestines of herbivorous animals such as buffaloes, cows, goats, also known as young or less delicate feces. a bit “young shit”.

The main ingredients for the dish are the organs of the animals that are mixed, then simmered with the bones until it is sweet enough. Accompanying condiments include: chili, garlic, and mac Khen. This dish does not look eye-catching, combining the bitter taste of forest leaves with the strong steam from the internal organs of pigs and cows will cause discomfort to some people. However, if you slowly taste it, the dish is also quite delicious and attractive.

Nam pia is a typical dish of Thai ethnic people in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh.
Nam pia is a typical dish of Thai ethnic people in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh.

Above are the top 14 unique dishes in our country Vietnam. How many of you have tried them all and how many have never tried anything? Comment below which dish is your favorite.

Photo:Internet

Booking.com