Top 14 Unique Dishes Found Only in Vietnam

Field rats, a common sight in Vietnam, are prepared in various ways, including grilled, roasted, stir-fried with lemongrass and chili, or pan-fried. These rats have become a local delicacy in many restaurants and eateries. In rural markets, they are sold for prices ranging from 50,000 to 70,000 VND per kilogram. Additionally, the practice of catching field rats provides seasonal employment for rural workers during the flood season.

The tastiest and most flavorful field rats are caught after rice harvest, particularly after the winter-spring and summer-autumn rice seasons. After the harvest, people in the Mekong Delta (Southern Vietnam) head out to catch the rats for sale. In the past, catching these rats was a simple task, but nowadays, due to increased demand, the methods have become more sophisticated, such as using nets, traps, digging tunnels, or night-time light traps.

When you hear of stir-fried stink bugs or grasshoppers, many may think of them as bizarre dishes and hesitate to try them. However, if you visit Son La during the summer, you should give these stir-fried insects a try and discover why they are considered a local delicacy.

Stink bugs and grasshoppers are pests that harm crops, but when prepared carefully, they can make for a tasty dish. After removing the odor, cutting off the wings, and discarding the tails, the insects are stir-fried until golden, seasoned, and served on a plate. Though this may sound strange, it reflects the rustic flavors of rural life, with each region offering unique specialties.

To prepare stir-fried silkworm larvae with lime leaves, the Thai ethnic people of Son La select fresh, undamaged, and non-blackened silkworms with a golden, shiny outer shell. After washing them, they are briefly blanched in boiling water and then drained. The seasonings for this dish include shredded lime leaves, chopped spring onions, sliced chili, salt, monosodium glutamate, and smashed shallots. Once the seasoning ingredients are ready, the Thai people heat some oil in a pan, fry the shallots until fragrant, and then stir-fry the silkworms until they turn golden brown. The dish is then ready to be served.

Silkworm larvae are a common food in daily meals, especially in regions where silkworm farming is practiced. Two types of silkworm larvae are commonly used for cooking: bee larvae and silkworm larvae. They are considered a nutritious delicacy due to their high protein content, believed to help treat impotence, strengthen kidneys, and promote male vitality.

Crispy fried crickets are a popular dish made from insects. Once considered a humble, rural food, cricket meat has now become a sought-after delicacy for food enthusiasts. Preparing dishes with crickets is becoming increasingly common, as their unique flavor and crisp texture make them a delightful treat. Cricket-based dishes are highly nutritious, packed with fats, proteins, and essential micronutrients.

Research has shown that crickets contain essential amino acids like Cysteine and Methionine, as well as a high-quality Chitin content—8.7% in adult crickets, which is superior to shrimp and crab. Some popular dishes include crispy fried crickets, cricket rolls, grilled crickets, and salt-and-pepper fried crickets. Only the healthiest, most agile crickets with full legs and antennae are selected for cooking. Preparation involves soaking crickets in salted water for 3-5 minutes to clean and ensure safety, followed by removing their innards, marinating with fish sauce, pepper, onion, garlic, and monosodium glutamate before frying until golden and crispy.

The rươi, a well-known delicacy in Northern Vietnam, is especially famous in Tứ Kỳ – Hải Dương. From rươi, home cooks can prepare a variety of delicious dishes such as rươi spring rolls, rươi clay pot stew, stir-fried rươi with niễng (a type of herb), steamed rươi, salted rươi, bamboo shoot soup with rươi, and even rươi crab soup. However, the most popular dish is the traditional fried rươi patties.

If you're short on time and don't want to prepare fresh rươi for the fried patties, purchasing ready-made patties is a great solution for a quick, flavorful, and nutritious family meal. The rươi resembles a water leech but with many legs like a centipede, and their colorful, worm-like appearance may seem off-putting. However, once cooked, rươi transforms into a uniquely delicious dish, with fried rươi patties being one of the most special and beloved preparations.

Cicadas are a regional specialty in Bình Phước. During the cicada molting season, the people of Bình Phước, especially the men, take turns catching cicadas for cooking. These cicadas can be prepared in many ways, including in porridge, fried in batter, stir-fried with onions, and the most popular method, crispy fried cicadas. After catching them, the cicadas are placed in a sealed bag and washed in saltwater to prevent them from shedding their wings. To ensure they are safe to eat, they are dipped in boiling water and then rinsed with cold water. The cicadas are then fried in hot oil until golden brown.

The crispy, golden cicadas emit a fragrant aroma and are typically served with fresh herbs and a dipping sauce made of fish sauce, garlic, and chili. The texture is rich and crispy, and the taste is aromatic and delightful. Only cicadas that have recently molted, about 30 minutes or less, are used for cooking. Dishes made with cicadas always impress those who taste them.

Sá Sùng – A creature that may sound unfamiliar, but in fact, it has been closely linked to the lives of Vietnamese people, especially those living by the sea. Sá sùng is a type of seafood that lives in burrows under sandy beaches near the coast. It is most commonly found in places like Quảng Ninh, Nha Trang, and Côn Đảo. In different regions, it is known by various names such as bait, bi bi, earthworm, or sea worm. For this reason, many people might not recognize it immediately when the name Sá Sùng is mentioned.

This seafood delicacy is a specialty of the Quảng Ninh coast. Despite its strange appearance – round, smooth, and soft, resembling an enlarged earthworm – sá sùng can be cooked in many delicious dishes, such as stir-fried sá sùng with garlic or sá sùng soup. Sá sùng is not only a tasty dish, rich in nutrients, but also a medicinal delicacy known for its numerous health benefits. It is believed to help treat cold-induced ailments and cool the body. Sá sùng contains 17 essential minerals and 18 types of amino acids. This truly is a dish worth trying at least once.

Phá Lấu is a dish made from nearly every part of a pig or chicken, but it is most delicious when made with duck. To prepare it, the meat is cut into bite-sized pieces and marinated with five-spice powder, high-proof white liquor, soy sauce, minced garlic, shallots, pepper, salt, and sugar. After seasoning, it is left to marinate for about 60 minutes. The marinated meat is then fried in hot oil until browned, then removed to drain. The leftover marinade is added to a pot with coconut water, enough to cover the fried meat, and simmered on low heat. As the liquid reduces, more coconut water is added, and the dish continues to simmer until the sauce thickens and the meat becomes tender. The dish is served cut into bite-sized pieces, and it's best enjoyed with pickled cucumbers and carrots, and a dipping sauce made from the broth, garlic, and chopped chili.

Over time, Phá Lấu has been modified in many ways, but it remains a beloved dish for many generations of Vietnamese students. In the past, it was typically sold in large pots with a charcoal fire underneath, often near school gates. Today, there are many clean and safe eateries offering a variety of Phá Lấu dishes for young people. Phá Lấu is a simple and affordable dish, perfect for any time of day. It continues to be a quintessential part of Vietnamese street food culture, particularly in Saigon.

When visiting Hue for the first time, the name Com Am Phu on the menu intrigues everyone, and they are eager to try it. To their surprise, this uniquely named dish, which evokes a bit of a spooky feeling, turns out to be both visually appealing and delicious. The dish features a variety of ingredients such as fried eggs, fermented pork, spring rolls, grilled meat, cucumber, and freshly sautéed shrimp. Each ingredient is sliced into small strips and arranged around a bowl of white rice cooked with An Cuu rice.

To complete the dish, a bowl of fish sauce mixed with garlic, sugar, and lime juice is essential. Pour the fish sauce over the rice and mix everything well before enjoying it, as this is the key to unlocking the full flavor of the dish.

At first glance, the name might make people think of the "stone sprouts" from the Trạng Quỳnh legend, or expect a dish that resembles... stones. However, the name is actually derived from the cooking method. When you order Sỏi Mầm, you are served wild boar meat cooked in a very unique way. The dish consists of 3 to 4 hot stones, used to grill the wild boar meat. Once the meat is marinated, it is placed on the stones, and the intense heat from the stones cooks it perfectly.

For the people of Hau Giang, Sỏi Mầm is not an elaborate dish, but if you take away the stones, the essence of the dish is lost. To make an authentic Sỏi Mầm, the key ingredients are wild boar meat and the expert hands of the chef, along with the right blend of seasonings. The meat must come from wild boars raised by the indigenous people in the mountains, weighing between 5 and 15 kg. Only these wild boars yield the tender, flavorful meat with little fat, which is perfect for preparing Sỏi Mầm.

Nậm Pịa is a traditional dish from the Thai ethnic group in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh. This unique dish is commonly served at weddings, festivals, and special gatherings, making it a must-try specialty for travelers visiting the highland regions. The word 'Nậm' means 'soup' in Thai, while 'Pịa' refers to a thick, sticky substance found in the intestines of herbivores such as buffalo, cows, and goats, often referred to as 'young manure' or less delicately, 'fresh dung.'

The dish is made by simmering a mixture of animal organs with bones until the broth becomes rich and flavorful. Seasonings like chili, garlic, and the distinct 'mắc khén' pepper enhance its taste. Though the appearance of the dish may not be visually appealing, with the bitterness of forest herbs and the strong flavors from the offal, it can be off-putting to some. However, those who take the time to savor it will find the dish surprisingly delicious and intriguing.

Tiết Canh is a unique dish made from fresh animal blood, mixed with a little fish sauce or salt water to prevent coagulation. The blood is then combined with finely chopped meat and animal cartilage to thicken and set the mixture. This method of preparation is popular across Vietnam, from the north to the south, but it is rare to find in other culinary traditions worldwide, and even among the Vietnamese diaspora.

Commonly, Tiết Canh is made from pig, duck, goose, goat, or dog blood. The dish may also include chopped liver, heart, and gizzard, and is typically served with roasted peanuts, black pepper, fresh herbs, and a squeeze of lime. It is a popular dish at drinking gatherings. However, due to health concerns following fatalities linked to eating this dish, the sale of Tiết Canh has been prohibited in Vietnam.

Balut, also known as "fertilized duck egg," is a dish made by boiling a partially developed duck embryo inside the egg. It is a common street food in Vietnam, considered a nutritious snack by many in East and Southeast Asia. The dish is usually sold by street vendors and at small local eateries. It is also popular in other Asian countries like China, the Philippines, and Cambodia, though preparation methods can vary slightly.

In Vietnam, Balut eggs are typically incubated for 9 to 11 days. The eggs are served with herbs such as Vietnamese coriander, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and lime juice. In some areas, it’s also paired with pickled vegetables. Balut can also be found in different variations such as in hot pots, fried, or in other creative forms. Once boiled, the egg is cracked open and eaten with added seasonings, often creating an irresistible taste for many. However, some foreigners find it quite unsettling, or even repulsive.

Termite porridge with its brown termite color and distinct aroma has long been a unique dish in the cuisine of the Co Tu people. It is a specialty of this ethnic group. The termite harvest season runs from March to August, and people take advantage of this time to catch termites for roasting, which is then mixed with fish sauce or ground with salt.

After catching the termites, they must be gently washed multiple times, drained, and then cooked with rice or fresh cassava. The preparation of termite porridge is quite simple. The rice is cooked until tender, then roasted termites are added to the pot just before it finishes cooking. Once everything is heated through, seasoning is added to taste, creating a delicious, fragrant, and nourishing dish. There is nothing more delightful than savoring the savory, rich, and sweet flavor of this unusual meal during the cold rainy season.