Renowned culinary website Taste Atlas has named a Vietnamese cured fermented pork dish known locally as nem chua on its list of the world’s top dishes with hot peppers.

On February 9, Taste Atlas released its list of the top 54 dishes with hot peppers, with nem chua, Vietnam’s sole representative, ranking 52nd.

Nem chua, a traditional dish made from fermented meat, typically pork but sometimes beef, is flavored with chili pepper, pork skin, spices, and garlic. 

Taste Atlas describes the dish as being wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment for three-to-five days in a cold environment, resulting in a unique combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavors. 

Often served as a snack or appetizer, nem chua is traditionally accompanied by raw garlic and fish sauce or chili sauce. 

It is particularly popular during Lunar New Year celebrations. 

Other Asian dishes featured on the list include China’s Chongqing chicken, Indonesia’s Ikan bakar grilled fish, and Thailand’s nam phrik chili sauce and Gaeng kiew wan green curry paste. 

The rankings are determined through a combination of expert and reader votes based on factors such as popularity, local specialty, flavor, and cultural significance. 

Founded in 2015, Taste Atlas aims to serve as a comprehensive guide to traditional dishes worldwide, featuring over 9,000 local restaurants and introducing more than 10,000 dishes to readers with input from culinary experts and chefs.

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