These are the dishes that we eat daily, considered rustic specialties. But for international friends, they are like a challenge. There, courage is proven and horror movie experience is brought into play. Vietnamese cuisine is famous for pho, beef noodle soup, and banh mi, dishes that have conquered the world. But we are not just talking about these cute and lovable dishes. We will delve into the foods that make Westerners gasp, get goosebumps, and even run away.

At the top of the list is nothing other than blood pudding.

If you have ever watched videos of foreign vloggers trying this dish, you will definitely see them scream or cover their faces in fear. Blood pudding is a specialty of the North made from the blood of animals, usually ducks, pigs, goats, or even fish. The preparation method can make many people feel queasy. After bleeding the animal, they mix in meat, cartilage, liver, or intestines and let the blood coagulate into a shiny red jelly. On top, they add peanuts, herbs, and onions, then enjoy it with a spoon.

For Vietnamese people, blood pudding is a favorite dish, especially during feasts. But for Westerners, just hearing about blood makes them want to run away. Many famous vloggers have tried it and said it feels like stepping out of a horror movie. They are scared because the blood is not cooked and worry about food safety. Interestingly, some Westerners, after overcoming their initial fear, praise blood pudding as delicious. They enjoy the fatty taste and the strange sensation. But some have truly run away.

Next, we have balut, also known as duck embryo in English.

This is a very famous street food in Vietnam, from urban areas to the countryside. It can be eaten for breakfast or dinner. Balut is a duck egg that has been incubated for a certain number of days when the embryo has formed a beak, feathers, legs, and sometimes even eyes. The egg is boiled, lightly cracked, the inside broth is slurped, and then eaten with Vietnamese coriander, ginger, and salt with lime. For Vietnamese people, this is considered a very nutritious dish that helps boost health, especially favored by men. Many believe that eating balut on odd days brings good luck.

But for Westerners, balut is a real nightmare not only in Vietnam but also in the Philippines and some other countries. When they crack the egg open, they see the tiny duck inside with down feathers, a beak, and sometimes even crunchy bones. Many call this the most horrifying dish in the world. Balut has appeared in the Museum of Horrible Foods in Sweden and is a legendary challenge on TV shows. Nevertheless, some Westerners, after trying it, praise the dish as delicious, especially when eaten with salt, pepper, and lime. They say the fatty yolk and sweet egg broth are very appealing.

Some even become addicted to this dish after the first try. What do you think? Is balut as scary as what Westerners say, or is it just a normal dish like how we eat breakfast every day?

Now let's move on to a dish that makes many Westerners want to scream, which is coconut worms.

These are larvae that live in the trunk of coconut or date palms, plump, white, and a few centimeters long. In the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, coconut worms are a specialty. They can be grilled over hot coals, deep-fried with butter, or even eaten raw with chili fish sauce. When bitten, the coconut worm bursts, releasing a creamy, buttery substance with a sweet and fragrant taste. But for Westerners, just seeing the wriggling worm on the plate makes them want to faint. Many tourists describe eating coconut worms as chewing on a giant maggot.

Some even say they feel guilty for eating a living creature. Nevertheless, coconut worms are very popular in Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Cambodia. They are rich in protein, and many say eating coconut worms is like eating fried shrimp. Would you dare to try this dish?

Next is a controversial dish worldwide, dog meat.

In Vietnam, dog meat is a common dish in some regions, especially in the North and rural areas. People prepare dog meat in many ways: steamed, cooked with bamboo shoots, dog sausage, or even hot pot. According to folk beliefs, eating dog meat at the end of the month helps ward off bad luck, and many believe that eating it at the beginning of the month brings bad luck. Dog meat is believed to be nutritious according to traditional medicine. This dish is served with shrimp paste, herbs, and of course, something to drink with.

But for Westerners, dog meat is a cultural shock. In Western countries, dogs are seen as pets, as man's best friend. The idea of eating dog meat is unacceptable to them, even considered disgusting. Dog meat is always a sensitive topic, and we will not argue about right or wrong here. The interesting thing is the cultural difference. A normal dish for Vietnamese people is horrifying for Westerners. Even in some Asian countries like South Korea or North Korea, dog meat is a traditional dish, but in the West, it always causes controversy. What do you think about this dish?

The next dish also relates to dog meat, which is shrimp paste.

This is a type of fermented shrimp paste made from small sea shrimp mixed with salt for many months, creating a strong and distinctive aroma. Shrimp paste is the soul of many dishes such as vermicelli with shrimp paste, dog meat with shrimp paste, and fish cakes with shrimp paste. For Vietnamese people, just smelling shrimp paste is already very recognizable. And dipping it with fried tofu is indeed very delicious. But for Westerners, shrimp paste is a disaster for the nose.

Many compare its smell to dirty socks or even the smell of a dirty toilet. But interestingly, some people, after getting used to it, find shrimp paste delicious, especially when diluted with lime, chili, and hot oil. They say shrimp paste adds depth to dishes like blue cheese in Western cuisine. Do you like shrimp paste? Or do you prefer dipping with seasoning salt or regular fish sauce? Or do you, like Westerners, find its smell very hard to bear?

Next is rat meat.

A rustic dish in many rural areas of Vietnam, including the old Ha Tay, Thai Binh, and some other regions. It is not sewer rats but field rats. Living in rice fields, eating rice and grass, so the meat is very clean and fragrant. Rats are cleaned, skinned, and then prepared in many ways. Grilled over charcoal, stir-fried, or fried, they are very delicious. For Vietnamese people, rat meat is sweet and tasty like chicken, a specialty during the rice harvest that often appears in rural drinking parties.

But for Westerners, just hearing about rat meat gives them goosebumps. In Western culture, rats are often associated with vermin, disease, and living in sewers. Eating rat meat is unimaginable. Many tourists call this dish horrifying and refuse to try it immediately. What about you? Would you dare to try rat meat?

Next, we move on to insects.

This time it’s fried crickets, salted and spicy scorpions, fried grasshoppers with lime leaves, or stink bugs. In many rural areas, these dishes are specialties for drinking, delicious, cheap, and nutritious. Insects are cleaned, seasoned, and then fried until crispy, with a fatty, fragrant, and crunchy taste. Many people even call this the food of the future because insects are a sustainable source of protein. But for Westerners, just seeing whole insects on a plate makes them want to faint. The sight of legs, wings, and eyes makes them think of horror movies. Would you eat insects or do you find them as disgusting as Westerners do?

The next dish is durian.

Durian is the king of fruits. Durian is famous for its rich, sweet taste and creamy texture. In Vietnam, durian is used to eat fresh, make ice cream, cakes, or smoothies. For Vietnamese people, this is a wonderful dish, and many have become addicted to the distinctive aroma of durian. But for Westerners, the smell of durian is described as similar to rotten onions, garbage left out for a long time, or even the smell of a toilet.

Many tourists have tried durian and were shocked by its delicious taste but could not stand the smell. Some say they had to wear masks when eating durian at the market. It’s unclear what kind of mask is needed for eating. However, some Westerners, after getting used to it, become fans of durian, even bringing it back to their countries to introduce to friends. Are you on the love or hate team for durian?

The next dish is dancing fish, a unique specialty of some people in the Northwest of Vietnam.

Dancing fish uses small live fish, about the size of a finger, cleaned. They are then mixed with a special dipping sauce made from bananas, mac khen, chili, and herbs. People eat them right when the fish are still wriggling on the plate, creating a fresh and unusual taste. But for Westerners, the image of live fish jumping around is a real nightmare. Many call this a survival challenge or a dish from a horror movie. Would you dare to try dancing fish?

Finally, we have animal-infused liquor such as snake wine, scorpion wine, and gecko wine.

This is a traditional drink of Vietnamese men in the past, believed to have medicinal effects, boost vitality, and enhance masculinity. The image of whole snakes and scorpions infused in a bottle of liquor is a unique highlight often displayed in drinking establishments. But for Westerners, just looking at the bottle of liquor makes them shudder. Many call this a drink from a horror movie or a poison bottle. Those are the 10 horrifying dishes of Vietnam for Westerners, while for Vietnamese people, they may be very normal. Have you tried any dishes on this list? Which one do you find the most horrifying?