Taste Atlas, a leading global culinary guide, released its ranking of the best lime dishes in early January. Lime-cured beef salad is the only Vietnamese dish on the list, securing 38th place with a score of 3,6 out of 5.

Lime-cured beef salad is prepared with thinly sliced beef, combined with: onion, lime juice, garlic, shallots, chili, and fresh herbs such as cilantro, rice paddy herb, perilla, and mint. The beef is seasoned with salt, pepper, and chicken broth, then mixed with lime juice or green lime and sugar. The lime's acidity naturally cures the beef to a rare doneness. The beef is then tossed with fried garlic and fried shallots before serving.

When plated, lime-cured beef salad is typically served on a bed of fresh greens, topped with: sliced chili and crushed roasted peanuts. Taste Atlas suggests serving it as an appetizer, accompanied by a dipping sauce and alcoholic beverages.

Lime-cured beef salad. Photo: Taste Atlas

Topping the ranking is Greek grilled lamb chops. This popular main dish in the Southern European country scored 4,4 points. Lamb chops are marinated with: olive oil, lime juice, and fresh herbs, then grilled over charcoal. The dish is served with: potatoes, various salads, or creamy tzatziki sauce, offering a cool and refreshing taste.

Taste Atlas's culinary rankings are based on user community reviews and expert opinions, excluding localized assessments. The system also gives more weight to reviews from individuals with culinary knowledge. For the "83 best dishes using lime" list, Taste Atlas recorded over 920.000 reviews, with more than 595.000 deemed valid by the system.

Taste Atlas's rankings are not considered definitive global culinary conclusions. Their primary goal is to promote local dishes and pique curiosity for lesser-known foods.

Tam Anh (according to Taste Atlas)