A Vietnamese expert has revealed the country’s dishes that can shock tourists
Vietnamese cuisine has several dishes that should be eaten with caution because of their unusual flavour, ingredients or appearance, Bastien Puchot, director of sales and marketing at the Regent Phu Quoc Hotel on Phu Quoc Island, told reporters.
For example, balut is a fertilised duck egg that is boiled for 15 minutes and eaten without the shell with laksa (coriander) leaves, thinly sliced ginger and a pinch of salt and pepper. The egg can also be fried with spicy tamarind sauce, taro paste or stewed with wormwood leaves. Each cooking method makes the flavour unusual.
Black pudding, also called blood pudding, is made from the blood of animals (e.g. swans, ducks, cows, goats). Fish sauce or lightly salted water is added to it. During the preparation of pudding, the blood is mixed with minced meat, cartilage, herbs and roasted peanuts to enhance the flavour. The dish is served as an appetiser with basil, perilla and brandy.
Fermented shrimp pasta with salt has a distinct lilac colour and strong smell. It is used as a sauce, an addition to aubergine and vermicelli snacks, and a seasoning for meat dishes.
Coconut worms are ant beetle larvae with soft, milky bodies. Their appearance can be repellent, but they are rich in protein. Live coconut worms are usually washed and served in a bowl with chilli fish sauce.
Clam worms, which resemble rainworms but with many legs, live mainly in brackish water. They are harvested in late September and are usually fried with eggs or salt.
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