8 dishes to avoid in Vietnam for foreigners. According to Canadian tourist Mathew Pike, eating Blood pudding (tiết canh), unpeeled fruits, raw vegetables can cause health problems.
Mathew Pike is a writer of Culture Trip , who lives in Saigon. He said that Vietnamese cuisine is delicious and safe. However, there are some food and drinks that travelers should avoid.
Unidentified meat
Mathew did not talk about street food. Because food sold on street vendors or sidewalk bars is often rated as one of the best in the world. What Mathew means is that the meat is processed, not fresh and is sold very cheap. These foods can make you have a stomach ache.
Roadside coffee
Coffee is a popular and highly competitive drink in Vietnam. To increase profits, some stores can add cheap chemicals to coffee. They are really toxic. However, not everywhere in Vietnam sells poor quality coffee. Tourists can choose nice cafes at slightly higher prices. It is the best to go to places where guests can track the process of making coffee.
Raw Vegetables
In Vietnam, some vegetable growing areas can use chemicals to make vegetables grow faster, look fresher and more delicious. There are even many places where bleach is used for fungi. You can not distinguish whether vegetables are used or not. Therefore, it is better to eat cooked vegetables to ensure the safety of your digestive system.
Blood pudding
Blood pudding is a traditional dish in northern Vietnam, usually made from fresh blood of ducks or pigs. However, this dish is hidden in the deadly bacteria. In Vietnam, there have been many cases of deaths from eating pig blood.
Dog meat
Many places here sell dog meat. In order to supply materials to the shops, many people have stolen dogs from families. Mathew said that this is not something to support.
Toad meat
Frog is a delicious food sold popular in Vietnam. However, toads are something tourists should avoid. Their skin contains toxin bufotoxin, causing adverse effects on human health.
Unpeeled fruits
Like many other places in the world, Vietnamese farmers often use pesticides in cultivation. For fruits like oranges and bananas this is not cause for concern. However, visitors should be wary of fruits that can eat whole skin like apples or guavas. Remember to always wash fruits before you eat and make sure restaurant staff do the same, if you have a meal outside.
Tap water
Travelers should not drink tap water directly at anywhere, especially in tropical countries. Tap water may contain many disease-causing bacteria that you have never seen before. However, Mathew Pike said that he had never had digestive problems when using tap water to brush his teeth in Vietnam.
Above are 8 dishes to avoid in Vietnam for foreigners. Hai Phong Tours hope you would have memorable trip in Vietnam!