Three Vietnamese treats including "bun rieu" (noodle soup with freshwater crab), snails and "banh mi" in Hoi An have been listed among the top 21 dishes of the year by the Australian travel website Traveller.

The list also includes aragostine from Italy, organic roast lamb from Iceland and the 600 AUS (430 USD) steak in Australia.

"Bun rieu cua" is described as "highly flavoursome" and “almost unfairly inexpensive” at 1.5 USD a bowl. This noodle dish is eaten widely across the country with a fragrant soup based on crushed freshwater crabs along with noodles, crab meat, fried tofu, pork and fresh herbs.

"Banh mi Phuong" in Hoi An, which was hailed as "a symphony within a sandwich" by the late world famous chef Anthony Bourdain, is also on the list. “Arrive hungry and order one with everything. You will be handed a fresh, crunchy baguette filled with salad, pork, pate, fish sauce, mayonnaise and a gratuitous fried egg, wrapped in a piece of local newspaper," Traveller wrote.  

Snails, a popular dish among Vietnamese diners, still seems to be exotic for foreign foodies, but was among the top 21 dishes of 2018. Different types of snails with different methods of cooking – fried, pan-fried, grilled, boiled, simmered are “all delicious, particularly when paired with cold beer and a humid evening”.

VNA