Vietnam’s 8 strangest dishes, do you dare to try?

Famous for familiar dishes such as Pho, bun cha, etc., Vietnam is also famous for 8 strange dishes below.

Whether you like to try different types of delicacies around the world or just like to browse and know what they eat in different regions of the world, discover what is the strangest thing they eat in Vietnam, and if you want to visit those regions and try these dishes for yourself, you can always choose between our different travel options to visit the whole area.

This entry is for the bravest. If in the previous entry we presented you the 10 street food dishes essential in your trip to Vietnam, today we bring you a selection of the 6 strangest .
You’re going to need to think twice before going for the treat.

Vietnam is a fascinating country, full of surprises and one of the most attractive destinations in Asia. Plan your trip with the list of all best places in Vietnam with InboundVietnam.

List of the 8 strangest Vietnamese dishes

1.Trứng Vịt Lộn (baby duck eggs)

This is especially appealing to Westerners. It was a hard-boiled egg with the baby duck's fetus in it. It is usually eaten with thin slices of ginger and mint. This delicious dish is suitable for breakfast or afternoon snack because it contains many vitamins. For this reason, it is considered perfect for children's development.

2. Dog Meat

Yes, in Vietnam dogs are eaten. Although the mentality is changing, there are still many people who eat dog meat.

It is often served with shrimp paste, vermicelli and a variety of vegetables.

We do not recommend eating this type of meat because of the controversy surrounding the treatment of these animals. Also, not bred for this purpose, dogs are stolen or bred without any health control so they are a very important source of disease.

3. Chả Rươi

Maritime worms are a special dish. In Vietnam there is a belief that this animal can help improve arthritis, body aches, or the flu. At the beginning of the 20th century it could only be eaten in early autumn, the indicated season for sea worms. Today, there are breeding farms and it is possible to consume it all year round.
In order to preserve all properties, the worm is mixed with lime leaves, egg and minced pork before frying in the form of cakes . It can also be served with rice.

4. Thịt Rắn

Although in some countries, eating snakes is considered taboo, but in Vietnam it is not. Moreover, snake meat is a most common dish.
The Vietnamese believe that snake blood is a natural viagra for humans. It is said to awaken an immediate sexual desire. For this reason, snake farms with specialized restaurants have spread throughout the country.
The snake's heart and blood are served fresh mixed with rice wine while its meat is cooked in various ways.

5. Frog Meat

The frog isn’t something so strange to us. Frog legs are also considered a delicacy in our land. The difference is that in Vietnam the whole frog is eaten, with the exception of the head.
In addition, the skin is fried and served as a crunchy and delicious aperitif . The rest of the body is cooked in different ways but the most common is to fry it with bamboo and serve it with vegetables.
The frog is believed to be very nutritious. For this reason, it is often dried and frayed to make it easier for children to eat.

6. Con Nhộng

After a not very long life producing silk, in Vietnam, the best way to end the silkworm is to fry it and eat it as a snack. An unworthy end to the small worker…
It is such a typical meal that it is said that all Vietnamese have eaten silkworms at least once in their lives.

7. Tiết Canh 

Basically, it is a natural blood pudding of chicken, duck, goat or pork, mixed with a little salt and served with pieces of meat, spices, lemon juice and peanuts.
A “delight” that I have personally tasted and I do not recommend it. Since it is natural blood without cooking, it is a very big source of infections.
Totally discouraged consumption.

8. Đuông Dừa

The best is left for the end. The “delicacy” par excellence is the typical beetle larva of the Mekong delta . These huge whitish larvae grow inside the trunk of the coconut palms of the Ben Tre area. The live larva is simply mixed with fish sauce and eaten directly.
It is important, for those who dare to try it, that you should bite your head first, because if you don’t, it may be the same larva that bites your tongue and it is quite painful.

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