According to the July 15 update of the world-famous culinary site TasteAtlas, the ranking of the best snacks in Vietnam is based on 1,241 reviews from users, of which 889 reviews were confirmed by the system as valid. The selected dishes all have a score of 3.4/5 or higher, focusing mainly on snacks, often used as appetizers or street food.

Fried spring rolls (nem ran) are a popular dish in many localities in Vietnam. Photo: Bui Thuy

Fried spring rolls (nem ran) top the list with a score of 4.3/5. This culinary site describes the dish as consisting of pork, shrimp, vegetables, rolled in rice paper and then deep-fried, popular nationwide.

Coming in second is chao tom, a dish originating from Hue, made from soft shrimp patties, wrapped around sugarcane stalks and then steamed, grilled or fried. Previously, shrimp paste only appeared on special occasions, but now it has become a familiar appetizer or snack. Diners can enjoy the whole shrimp paste, or remove the shrimp, roll it with lettuce and dip it in sweet and sour fish sauce (dipping sauce).

Shrimp paste originated in Hue. Photo: Bui Thuy

Also in the top group is banh xeo (4.2/5) with a crust made from rice flour mixed with turmeric and coconut milk, filled with shrimp, meat and bean sprouts, fried until golden brown and folded in half. Dishes such as spring rolls, dumplings, fried bananas, fried cakes, banh khot and shrimp cakes also scored 4.0 or higher.

Previously, some familiar dishes such as nem chua (3.4/5), pho cuon (3.4/5) and banh can (3.5/5) appeared on the list of "39 worst dishes in Vietnam" published by TasteAtlas in June, this time appearing in the popular snack group, with improved scores.

In addition, the culinary site also introduces many traditional sweets such as orange cake, fried cake, it cake, three-color sweet soup, and local specialties such as wet cake, cong cake, and chestnut cake.

TasteAtlas does not disclose detailed evaluation criteria, only stating that the results are compiled from verified users, with a mechanism to eliminate fake or biased reviews, and prioritize comments from people who are recognized by the system as knowledgeable about cuisine.

TasteAtlas is a platform specializing in traditional cuisine, headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia. This website regularly updates food rankings by country and region, with the goal of promoting local dishes on the world culinary map.

Tuan Anh (According to TasteAtlas)