Vietnamese dish among world's top 10 meals in 2023

Banh cuon (Vietnamese stuffed pancake) has been named among the world's top 10 meals in 2023 by leading Australian travel site Traveller.

Banh cuon is a typical dish of Vietnamese cuisine, with a thin, soft and supple coated cake crust wrapped with many different fillings inside.

Traditional banh cuon with a filling of minced meat, wood ear and some black fungus is seasoned and pre-cooked. Each plate of banh cuon is covered with crispy fried onions.

Ben Groundwater, Traveller's writer commented: "The food of Vietnam is just incredible. Everything is good, from the noodle soups to the grilled meats to the herby salads to the turmeric-heavy pancakes."

"The dish I really want to explore in 2023, however, is banh cuon. There's a certain magic to the way these big sheets of steamed rice noodles are made, before they're wrapped around savoury fillings and served with herbs and sauce," he said.

The other dishes in the list are: Grilled turbot (Spain), Oklahoma smash burger (U.S), Mole negro (Mexico), Short eats (Sri Lanka), Sushi (Japan), Ragu napoletano (Italy), Sarawak Laksa (Malaysia), Duck sausage sanga (Melbourne), and Tahdig (Iran).

In January, pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) was named the country's greatest culinary gift to the world by Sydney Morning Herald, which said "the aroma is transcendent and the taste is perfection".

"Pho is a fragrant, subtly powerful dish that's even greater than the sum of its considerable parts. Its broth is a gently simmered stock of beef bones with onion, ginger and spices; it arrives pooled around banh pho, or flat rice noodles, and rare beef slices, topped with bean sprouts, fresh herbs, lemon and chilli," Groundwater, a columnist and feature writer for the Australian newspaper wrote.

In mid-Jan, Vietnam was labelled best culinary destination in Asia for 2023 by New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure.

"If there’s one cultural cuisine that bursts with umami goodness, it’s Vietnamese cuisine. The country, apart from its beautiful landscapes, is known for its food," the travel magazine wrote.

"Everywhere you go, you’ll be met with local, regional delicacies that will bowl you over, as you soak in new, exciting experiences and visit stunning destinations," it added.