A hot bowl of beef pho in Saigon. Photo by VnExpress/Di Vy.

"Beef is simmered for hours with cinnamon, star anise and other warm spices to create a wonderfully aromatic base for this rice noodle soup," CNN said.

The cable news network added beef pho remains the most beloved version in Vietnam, with options including the original raw beef, a mix of raw and cooked beef, brisket and tendon.

Pho is a bowl of flat, soft rice noodles dipped in a fragrant beef or chicken broth flavored with condiments. The soup is considered a national dish and can be found all over the country though it originated in Hanoi before being taken to the south, where people have added their own influences to the dish.

The CNN list also includes French Bouillabaisse, Spanish Gazpacho, Chinese Lanzhou beef noodle soup and Thai Tom yum goong.