Vietnam named Asia’s leading culinary destination for the first time

Cha ca, the pan-fried squares of fish tossed with dill, onion, turmeric and galangal, is a well known, much favored dish of Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Trang.

The latest World Travel Awards has chosen Vietnam as “Asia’s Leading Culinary Destination” reaffirming the growing international reputation of Vietnamese cuisine.

It is the first time the country has achieved this honor though Vietnamese cuisine has already won considerable praise from international tourists and got rave reviews from prestigious travel magazines.

Graham Cooke, the founder of the World Travel Awards (WTA), said Vietnamese cuisine has crossed the national border and has become one of "must-try" experiences.