If you are a foodie, Vietnam won’t let you down. Vietnamese food is renowned in the world due to its mixes of tastes and flavors. While there are numerous street vendors that provide exquisite finger licking foods, Vietnamese cuisine is going indoors with more local restaurants providing authentic and quality food. The adventurous people who love trying different foods when going on Vietnam tour packages will find exotic foods in Vietnam amazing.

Here are some exotic foods you should try on your Vietnam culinary tour.

Pho noodles
A famous rice noodle served with bean sprouts, beef, lime wedges and even greens such as cilantro, basil and onions, Pho noodles are a must try on your visit to Vietnam. The reserved people can try Pho noodles with beef flank, beef meatballs or beef slices. If you’re more experimental, you could try exotic ingredients like flank with cartilage, sliced pig stomach or beef tendon. You could try this popular breakfast option in local restaurants on the streets for VND 20,000.

Vietnamese shellfish
Also known as oc, this dish is prepared in different methods and its best enjoyed with cold beers. The best thing about this dish is that you can select the raw ingredients such as crabs, snails and shrimps and have them curried, steamed, grilled or sautéed. Exotic delicacies such as clams steamed with lemongrass, grilled mussels with peanuts and oil are a must try.

Balut
This dish compromises of a boiled duck embryo feathers and beak. It’s eaten as a late night snack or you can just eat it as a pick me up as it’s filled with multiple nutrients. Balut is served with some soup which is especially delicious.

Banh My
A particularly popular dish in Ho Chi Minh City, Banh My is something you should never miss out on your Vietnam culinary tour. The sandwich is filled with soy sauce, cilantro, chilies, pickled vegetables and butter. For meat lovers, you can choose from different meat filings including fried fish, roasted pork, boiled chicken, boiled sausages or meatballs.

Com Tam
Com tam is a simple meal mainly served in the South of Vietnam. This meal compromises of broken rice served with grilled marinated pork chops and think cut pork with fresh vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes and other assortment of vegetables. You can also opt to have the steamed pork or pork meatloaf with grilled prawns and fried egg. Additionally, a bowl of fish sauce is served alongside com tam.

Bun Cha
Being one of the oldest dishes in Northern Vietnam, Bun Cha is served as lunchtime food. The dish features normal grilled meat or chopped meat on charcoal stove and it’s mixed with herbs and rice noodles. These ingredients are dipped in a thick, fish sauce. If you are outside Hanoi, you can opt for an alternative dish-Bun Thit Nuong.

Spring roll
Goi cuon or Vietnamese spring roll is one of the most famous foods that you need to sample on your Vietnam culinary tour. Spring rolls are packed with coriander, minced shrimp, greens and in some cases crabs. The south have a unique way of preparing it as they use barbecued strips with star fruit and it’s then dipped in rich peanut sauce. Goi cuon is a healthier alternative to cha gio, a fried egg rill made with various spices, mung bean noodles and minced pork.

Snake meat
Snakes are eaten in some parts of Vietnam. In some restaurants, they will kill the snake at your table, drain the blood and stir fry it with vegetables. You can also try out the iconic snake wine. On a Hanoi street food tour, you can visit Le Mat Snake farm where you’ll get to see different types of snake and the varying preparation methods.

Dog meat - dare you try?
Dog meat is eaten in various Asian countries such as Indonesia, Korea, china, Philippines and in Vietnam as well. This type of meat is a bit pricey in Vietnam as it’s said to contain more protein than normal meat. It’s also said that winter is the best time to eat dog meat. The delicacy is prepared by boiling it with ginger or roasting it with plum sauce.

You’ll find most dog meat restaurants in Hanoi. The Vietnamese eat dog meat to wade off bad luck and because it’s tasty than other variants of meat.

Note:
- There is no dog farm in Vietnam and Vietnamese argue that they just eat the "ugly and stupid dogs"
- Fewer and fewer people eat dog meat in Vietnam, it can be a horrible dish to try and  if you care nothing, dog meat is still a challenge.

Frogs
You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that Vietnamese do not just eat frog’s legs, they also eat the whole animal fried, steamed or grilled. In some cases, the delicacy is spiced with pepper, salt and lemon.

Pha Lau
This is one of the likely ingredients you’re likely to come across on your Vietnam culinary tour. Pha Lau compromises of beef kidney, stomach. Heart and intestines. These parts are chopped and added to noodle soups, baguette sandwiches or sold as an accompaniment to rice wine or beer.

Vietnam is a culinary haven. You can sample these exotic foods as part of your Vietnam tour packages. You can explore the streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh for various Vietnamese delicacies.