Tourists are not only attracted by famous landscapes, beauty spots or shopping centres but also by regional specialties and street food has long played an exciting role in different cuisines throughout the world.

Ho Chi Minh City has recently been ranked as one of the world’s top ten cities for best street food by the US monthly culinary magazine Food & Wine.

“Saigon's street food ranges from the savoury soup known as pho and the French influenced banh mi (pâté sandwiches on French bread) to southern specialties like banh xeo (stuffed pancakes),” reported the magazine on its website foodandwine.com.

HCM City is home to many street vendors selling bread and pate and meat and vegetables all at very cheap prices, said Matsu, from Japan who works in the city.

To introduce tourists to the city’s markets and cuisine, the Saigon Tourist Company runs tours to go shopping and enjoy the dishes on offer at the Ben Thanh night market, which opened in 2002.

The other cities that are included in the world’s list are Austin, Los Angeles and Chicago in the US, Bangkok, Berlin , Istanbul, Mexico City, Hong Kong and Marrakech in Morocco. (Source: VNA)