TasteAtlas picks out two local dishes among world’s 100 best rated snacks

The 28th position went to the traditional Vietnamese snack chạo tôm (sugar cane shrimp) which consists of shrimp paste wrapped around a sugar cane.

The paste is often enriched with seasoning such as garlic and spices, as well as occasionally using pork paste before being shaped around the cane and then steamed, grilled, or fried.

The dish originates from Hue in Central Vietnam and is now enjoyed throughout the country. Although it was once reserved for special occasions, this delicious combination is nowadays most commonly enjoyed as an appetizer or as a light snack. The dish can be enjoyed as a whole, but the shrimp can also be taken off the cane, wrapped in lettuce, and then dipped in nước chấm sauce, the website wrote.

Aside from the dipping sauce, chạo tôm is often accompanied with sliced fresh vegetables and bánh hỏi rice noodles, it added.

Chả giò (fried spring rolls) ranks 85th in the list. The main characteristic of these tasty rolls is the pork and shrimp filling which is wrapped in delicate rice paper.

Frequent additions to the stuffing include vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, glass noodles, and bean sprouts. TasteAtlas shared that the rolls are shortly fried and result in a treat with an appetising golden colour; a thin, crispy, and light outer layer; and a delectable filling.

Rounding off the list of TasteAtlas’s 10 best rated snacks were many representatives from across the world, namely hamamatsu of Japan, guotie and smacked cucumber of China, pempek and batagor of Indonesia, karipap and roti canai of Malaysia, pão de queijo of Brazil, and esquites and antojitos of Mexico.

TasteAtlas is an encyclopedia of flavours, a world atlas showcasing traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants. The website has cataloged over 10,000 foods and drinks from across the world, with there being dozens of thousands yet to be researched and mapped.