TasteAtlas's June 23 update reveals a shorter list of Vietnam's worst-rated dishes for 2025, down to 39 from 45 in 2024. Topping the list is tiet canh (a dish made with raw animal blood), scoring 2.6/5 and ranking 6th globally among the worst dishes. The culinary website describes tiet canh as made from congealed animal blood, often served with peanuts and mint leaves.
"This dish is controversial due to the risk of bacterial contamination from the raw meat but has not been banned," a TasteAtlas expert wrote.
Mung bean cake, which led last year's ranking, has climbed to 19th place this year with an improved score of 3.5/5, up from 2.8/5. Among the top 10 worst dishes, TasteAtlas lists mung bean sweet soup (3/5), banh it (a steamed glutinous rice cake) (3/5), banh gai (thorny sticky rice cake) (3.1/5), thit dong (jellied meat) (3.2/5), mooncakes (3.4/5), nem chua (fermented pork roll) (3.4/5), pho cuon (rolled pho) (3.4/5), banh can (mini savory pancakes) (3.4/5), and floating rice balls (3.5/5).
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Floating rice balls sold during the Cold Food Festival in Hanoi. Photo: Giang Huy |
Floating rice balls sold during the Cold Food Festival in Hanoi. Photo: Giang Huy
TasteAtlas doesn't specify why these dishes are on the list, stating only that it's based on community reviews. It employs mechanisms to identify real users and remove fake or biased reviews, prioritizing those from recognized food experts.
As of June 23, the website recorded 7,700 reviews for the "39 Worst Rated Vietnamese Dishes" list, of which 4,940 were deemed valid.
This list has sparked debate among Vietnamese food lovers, with many considering the ratings uninformed and biased. Some dishes like floating rice balls and banh can surprised many by their inclusion, given their palatable taste and popularity.
"It should be reversed to a list of the best Vietnamese dishes," commented user Linh An. User Tuan Hung expressed "doubt about the taste buds of people who eat cold cuts, fried eggs, and sausage sandwiches all day."
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Pho cuon in Hanoi. Photo: Bui Thuy |
Pho cuon in Hanoi. Photo: Bui Thuy
However, many believe it's unnecessary to dwell on negative reviews from foreign websites due to cultural differences. It's common for some delicacies from one country to not suit the palates of those from another.
TasteAtlas is an online platform specializing in exploring, ranking, and promoting traditional dishes, ingredients, and local restaurants worldwide. Founded in Zagreb, Croatia, TasteAtlas functions as a digital food map, providing detailed information about dishes, recipes, and the cultural stories behind them.
Hoai Anh (From TasteAtlas)
