Vietnamese fermented pork among world’s best dishes with hot peppers

Taste Atlas published its list of 52 best, in which nem chua, the only Vietnamese entry, placed 50th.

Nem chua is a traditional dish made from fermented meat.

The most popular version is made from pork though it can also be made with beef.

The dish also has other ingredients apart from chili pepper such as pork skin, spices and garlic.

Taste Atlas wrote: "The combination is wrapped into banana leaves, then stored for the fermentation process from 3 to 5 days in a cold place.

"These rolls have a sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavor, and they're usually served as a snack or an appetizer with raw garlic on top, and fish sauce or chili sauce on the side,"

The website added that nem chua is especially popular during Lunar New Year.

Other Asian dishes on the list included Chongqing chicken of China, Ikan bakar grilled fish of Indonesia and Thailand’s nam phrik chili sauce and Gaeng kiew wan green curry paste.

The list is based on a vote by experts and readers with the criteria being popularity, local specialty, flavor, and love from people.

Taste Altas was founded in 2015 and has since connected with over 9,000 local restaurants, introducing more than 10,000 dishes to readers with thousands of reviews and research from culinary experts and chefs.

The website seeks to become a world map of traditional dishes made from local ingredients.