Southeast Asian City Named Best Culinary City Destination in the World

For many travelers, eating sumptuous meals is an exciting part of every trip, and many cities around the world have garnered global recognition as culinary capitals. But when it comes to the world's top culinary city destination, you might have to travel further than New York or Paris. 

The World Culinary Awards just announced their winners for 2024, which include the best culinary city destination on the planet. If you're looking for some great eats, look no further than Hanoi, Vietnam. 

Vietnam is filled with a variety of dishes featuring fresh ingredients from the land and the sea. The food itself today, like the Vietnamese capital itself, represents the history and cultural influences that have seeped into the country over the years. Bánh mì and pâté, for example, became Vietnamese staples after French colonization; bún thang, a type of chicken noodle soup originating in Hanoi, and chè, a pudding typically made from beans, are influenced by Chinese culinary techniques. 

Of course, you can find plenty of other typical Vietnamese dishes including street foods like phở, spring rolls, and meat skewers. Expect to see lots of seafood as well, including prawns, squids, shrimps, crabs, clams, and mussels. 

Hanoi beat out some serious contenders from every corner of the globe: Auckland, New Zealand; Cape Town, South Africa; Lima, Peru; Lisbon, Portugal; Los Angeles, United States; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Port Louis, Mauritius. 

If you're looking for breathtaking natural beauty and unbeatable food choices for cheap, head to Vietnam for your next getaway.