Vietnam ranks fifth among 10 countries with best food: Canadian magazine

Pho is considered the premier national dish and can be found all over the country. (Photo: Vietnamplus)

Hanoi (VNA) - With distinctive cuisine and incredible favours that are particularly popular with international friends, Vietnam has been ranked 5th among the top 10 countries in the world with the best food by readers of the Canadian magazine The Travel.

"Seafood is a popular food in Vietnam as the country contains so many fishing villages. But Vietnam is not all about seafood," the magazine wrote.

"The wide variety of food in the country will leave visitors perplexed," it said.

The Travel highlighted Vietnam's noodle soups, saying that, like many Asian countries, noodle soups are popular in Vietnam, making it a great place to begin food exploration.

One of the Vietnamese noodle soups is called Pho, consisting of herbs, chicken, or beef. Pho is the country's iconic noodle soup. It is made and served across the country though it originated in Hanoi and was taken to the south, where other distinct touches were added.

"After tasting the country's national dish, one can proceed to try some snacks such as - spring rolls and baguettes. There are different types of rice dishes to also try out, and while some consist of chicken, others consist of beef or pork," the magazine said.

Thailand and the Philippines are the other two Southeast Asian nations on the list of the best food as chosen by readers of The Travel.

US cuisine tops the list, which also mentions Germany, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Spain, and India.

Many international chefs and prestigious food magazines in recent years have praised Vietnamese cuisine.

In the list of 50 "much-loved street foods in Asia" announced by CNN in August, Vietnam has three representatives: banh mi (bread), iced coffee, and pho.

Banh mi is a fusion of cold cuts and vegetables like coriander, cucumber, pickled carrots and pickled daikon combined with condiments from French cuisine like pate and mayonnaise.

Ca phe da, iced coffee, has become an indispensable part of Vietnamese daily life in recent years – with millions starting their day with a cup of iced coffee in the morning, chatting with friends and loved ones on plastic stools strewn along the sidewalks as the city wakes and traffic takes over.

Pho, a bowl of flat, soft rice noodles dipped in a fragrant beef or chicken broth flavoured with condiments, is considered the premier national dish and can be found all over the country.

The US television channel praised Vietnam's pho as one of the 20 best soups in the world.

The famous international magazine Vogue also recommended 29 must-eat Vietnamese dishes when visiting the Southeast Asian nation.

"When we think about Vietnamese dishes, complex flavours and contrasting textures come to mind. Influenced by its French colonial past (as seen in banh mi) and its neighbours in China, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, Vietnamese cuisine is an amalgamation of the exciting eats offered in these countries while still maintaining its own identity," it said.

The oldest and largest French TV channel - TF1 – broadcasts a report on the success of world cuisine in France over the past 10 years, in which Vietnamese cuisine was honoured as one of the three most loved by the French. The report was screened during the channel's prime time on February 7.

According to TF1, about 3,000 products from 24 different countries are sold in retail distribution systems throughout France. Among them, Vietnamese traditional fried spring rolls ranked third in the foreign cuisines most loved by French consumers. The US peanut butter, popcorn and Macaroni came in second, while Japanese sushi was the most popular.

Tasting Table, a famous website and newsletter for culinary enthusiasts, has posted two articles praising two local dishes, banh xeo (crispy Vietnamese pancakes) and nem lui (charcoal-grilled lemongrass pork skewers).

Vietnam was also honoured as Asia's Leading Culinary Destination at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) 2020. That was the second year in a row Vietnam ranked first in Asia in the category./.