Lao cuisine ranks near bottom in world's 100 best: TasteAtlas

It outranked Kenya, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Cyprus in the ranking, which was based on 590,228 valid ratings for 18,912 foods in TasteAtlas's database.

Within Southeast Asia, Lao cuisine placed at the bottom of the ranking.

Indonesia has been ranked 10th on TasteAtlas's list, the highest among Southeast Asian countries.

Vietnamese cuisine was the second best in Southeast Asia, ranking 16th globally, followed by Thai cuisine which ranks 24th globally, the Philippines at 25th, Malaysia at 29th and Singapore at 90th.

The food magazine recommended must-try dishes in Laos such as Ping kai (grilled chicken dish), Sai oua (spicy pork sausage infused with an array of aromatic local herbs and spices), Kaipen (a snack made of fresh water green algae, garlic, vegetables, and sesame seeds), Som Tam (green papaya salad) and Larb (a minced meat salad).

Some iconic traditional restaurants were Khaiphaen, Xieng Thong Phonsavanh Restaurant, Manda de Laos and 3 Nagas in Luang Prabang, and Reunion Cafe in Vientiane.

Italian cuisine was named the world's best this year, followed by cuisine of Greece, Peru, Portugal and Spain.

Cypriot cuisine finished the top 100 list.

Founded in 2015, TasteAtlas links 9,000 local restaurants and showcases tens of thousands of dishes based on reviews and research by culinary experts, chefs, and users.

The site serves as a global map of traditional dishes made from local ingredients and aims to celebrate great food, foster pride in culinary traditions, and spark curiosity about dishes unfamiliar to many tourists.