Hon thùi is crispy fried silkworm pupae, a popular street food in Bangkok, Thailand. According to TasteAtlas, this dish is prepared by frying silkworm pupae in silkworm oil, then seasoning with salt, pepper and sometimes adding a secret sauce from the seller.
From street vendors on the roadside, "hoonkhwai" has become a familiar snack for many locals," TasteAtlas described.
After frying, silkworm pupae have a crispy shell, a lot of grease and a slightly bitter taste. Although controversial about the flavor, "hoonkhwai" is still favored by many people thanks to its high protein content. Some people even believe that this dish has good health properties.
Ranked second in the ranking is ambuyat - Brunei's traditional dish made from sago palm starch. Ranked third is kaeng tai pla, a tomato curry made from fish organs from Thailand.
The remaining dishes in the top 10 worst-rated dishes in Southeast Asia include A-ping (Cambodian fried spider), Paniki (Indonesia), Blood pudding (Vietnam), Thong yip (Thailand), Tom chuet (Thailand), Khai Luk khoei (Thailand), Balut (Philippines).
In addition, the top 100 list also includes some dishes such as Tinutuan (Indonesia), Crab Soup (Vietnam), Pepes tahu (Indonesia)...
TasteAtlas said the ranking is built on user reviews, and applies mechanisms to verify real accounts, filter reviews from bots, limit ethnic or local bias, and prioritize opinions from people rated by the system who understand cuisine.
For the list of "100 Southeast Asian dishes rated worst", as of May 22, 2026, 39,091 reviews were recorded, of which 26,955 were recognized by the system as valid.
TasteAtlas notes that the list should not be considered the final conclusion globally on cuisine. Their purpose is to promote excellent local dishes, arouse pride in traditional dishes and stimulate curiosity about dishes you have never tried.
