Top 10 Most Distinctive Dishes of the E De People

The dish known as 'Vech' refers to the beef intestines, which are combined with grilled bamboo shoots. For some first-timers, the taste might be unfamiliar and challenging. However, for the E De people, the strong, slightly bitter, rich, fatty, and chewy texture of beef intestines, paired with the heat from green chilies and the aromatic, slightly pungent flavor of the bamboo shoots, mixed with various spices, creates a unique and unforgettable flavor profile. This is the essence of the dish, making it more delicious and special.

Traditionally, this dish was only prepared during important ceremonies for the village’s spirits, and after the ritual, villagers would share it amongst themselves. To enjoy this dish authentically, the bitter flavor of the beef intestines will hit the tongue first, followed by the subtle sweetness of fresh bamboo shoots, with a hint of chili heat, pepper, and the fragrant aroma of various herbs. This wild, earthy flavor is unlike any other bamboo shoot dish, and once you try it, you’ll be compelled to say, ‘This is truly unique.’

To ensure the dish is made correctly, the E De people only use fresh bamboo shoots harvested during the rainy season, from May to November. These tender, fresh shoots are a must – canned or preserved bamboo shoots from the market simply won’t capture the true essence of the dish. To prepare this dish, fresh bamboo shoots, beef intestines (which include the small intestines, some beef skin, and stomach), wild green chilies, onions, lemon basil leaves, seasoning powder, and MSG are essential.

The cooking process begins with grilling the bamboo shoots, still in their skin, over a hot fire until the outer layer is charred. Then, the bamboo shoots are left to cool before peeling and washing them with water collected from a local spring, fresh from the untouched forest. Afterward, they are sliced into thin, manageable pieces.

Once the ingredients are ready, oil is heated in a pan, and a mixture of chopped onions and green chilies is sautéed until fragrant. When the spices are golden, the bamboo shoots are added and stir-fried with seasoning until well-coated. Once the bamboo shoots are seasoned properly, the beef intestines, beef skin, and stomach are added, and the stir-frying continues, ensuring everything is evenly mixed without overcooking the beef intestines. The aroma will begin to fill the kitchen, and when the dish is ready, a touch of fresh spring onion leaves is added to the mix.

After plating, the dish is garnished with a few sprigs of basil. Eating this stir-fried bamboo shoot dish with hot, fresh rice will leave you in awe, teary-eyed from the heat but unable to stop eating, as the distinctive, mouthwatering flavor will keep you coming back for more, bite after bite.

This is a simple yet incredibly flavorful dish, famous among the E De people, made with easy-to-find ingredients. Using wild ingredients from the hills or from their own gardens, the E De people create many unique and tasty dishes. Along with bitter melon, papaya is another common ingredient used in many delicious dishes, and the Spicy and Sour Papaya Salad is beloved by all, from the youngest to the oldest members of the E De community.

For the perfect papaya, it should be slightly ripe, with a hint of yellow but still firm to the touch. This ensures the papaya is less sticky and has a sweet flavor. Besides papaya, essential ingredients include chili salt and souring agents like tamarind, lime, passion fruit, or even ants and wild herbs like the leaves of the ‘giang’ tree. Fresh herbs like cilantro, kaffir lime leaves, and basil are also added to enhance the taste.

Once prepared, the Spicy and Sour Papaya Salad is best eaten immediately, as the papaya will lose its crispness if left too long. The preparation process is quick and easy. The papaya is peeled, cleaned, and then sliced into thin, long strips, similar to how ingredients for a salad are cut. After slicing, it is soaked briefly in a saltwater solution, drained, and left to dry completely. Green or ripe chilies, with their stems removed, are crushed with salt and MSG in a mortar, creating a smooth paste. This mixture is then blended with finely chopped herbs.

Next, the sour ingredients such as tamarind, lime, or passion fruit are added to the paste, releasing an aromatic and tangy scent that entices the senses and builds an appetite. Finally, the papaya strips are added to the mortar, one handful at a time, and gently pounded with a pestle to mix everything together. The dish is then tasted and adjusted with seasoning as needed.

This Spicy and Sour Papaya Salad has become a signature dish of the E De people. It is considered an essential part of daily life and is often enjoyed during family gatherings or in moments of leisure. Everyone gathers around, sharing this tangy, spicy dish, chatting and laughing together, bonding over a meal that has been passed down for generations in E De culture.

Fried Crickets with Salt is one of the most distinctive dishes of the E De people. To catch large, plump, golden-brown crickets, the E De typically hunt for them around October, during the rice harvest season. To attract the crickets, they use fire ants (large ones) as bait. According to Mr. Y Keo, 'After harvesting their rice, the people search for cricket burrows and then release the hungry fire ants into the burrows. The hungry ants rush down to find food and, when they encounter the crickets, they bite and chase the crickets out of their holes. At this moment, the hunter must quickly catch the crickets and place them in a bag.'

Fried Crickets with Salt is a popular delicacy among the E De people. After catching the crickets by hand, they are cleaned and their legs are removed. The crickets are then fried until they turn golden and release a savory aroma. The fried crickets are then mixed with salt, chopped spring onions, ginger, and chives, which are ground into a thick paste. This dish can be eaten on its own, served with rice, or used as a dipping sauce. The taste is rich, salty, spicy, and nutty, making it a truly unique experience.

Sour Ant Soup is another enticing dish of the E De people. The star ingredient of this dish is golden ants, which are combined with shrimp, crab, fish, 'djam tang' flowers, cilantro, and various seasonings. The golden ants provide the signature sour flavor that makes this soup stand out.

The golden ant soup preparation is quite simple: a large pot of water is brought to a boil, and ingredients like crab, fish, shrimp, and crushed 'nen' bulbs are added and simmered for a few minutes. Then, the 'djam tang' flowers and cleaned golden ants are added to complete the dish. The unique, tangy flavor from the golden ants gives this soup its distinct character, and it is especially popular on hot, sweltering days.

When talking about the distinctive dishes of the E De people from the Central Highlands, one immediately thinks of the unique, captivating flavors that reflect the local culture. Bitter cassava leaves stir-fried is one such dish that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who tries it.

The preparation of this dish is fairly simple, but it requires attention to detail. Not all cassava leaves are edible, so the cook must carefully select the right type of cassava with red-purple stems, small and thin leaves. The dish is then paired with other ingredients like lemongrass, chili, 'nen' bulbs, bitter eggplant, and male papaya flowers to create a flavorful and fragrant result.

Cassava leaves are abundant during the rainy season but scarce in the dry season. They are carefully harvested from the highest branches, washed, de-stemmed, and either crushed or pounded into a paste. Male papaya flowers are also prepared by removing the tough stems and briefly boiling them to reduce bitterness.

To make the bitter cassava leaves stir-fried even more delicious, pork fat or dried anchovies or steamed fish can be added. After sautéing the 'nen' bulbs with pork fat, the other ingredients are added and stir-fried, seasoned with spices, and, most importantly, chili—this adds the signature spicy kick to the dish. With just these ingredients, the dish bursts with the unique bitterness and spiciness that cannot be found anywhere else.

Bitter cassava leaves stir-fried is not only a familiar dish on the E De people's dining tables but has also become a regional delicacy widely known to visitors from afar. It is a prized dish featured at the top of many restaurant menus in the Central Highlands, attracting countless travelers to the region.

When it comes to traditional and unique dishes of the E De people from the Central Highlands, one cannot forget Yao leaf flour soup, a long-standing dish passed down from ancestors to the younger generations. During community gatherings, this dish is a beloved tradition, often served on special occasions such as weddings, prayers, and regular meals.

The main ingredients of this special dish are rice and yao leaves, along with other ingredients and spices like pork bones, beef or veal, dried bitter eggplant, green papaya, banana tree hearts, 'nen' bulbs, and chili. Yao leaves, a forest specialty found in the Central Highlands, have a sweet, distinct taste, and their appearance is similar to that of taro leaves.

To prepare Yao leaf flour soup, the rice is soaked until soft, drained, and then pounded together with yao leaves until the rice becomes fine and powdery. The harder and more evenly the rice is pounded, the better the soup will taste. Next, the E De people usually simmer pork bones until tender and briefly stir-fry the prepared meat. Then, they add banana heart cores and dried bitter eggplant to cook together. Once the ingredients are soft and well-cooked, additional ingredients like 'thuc' root and 'nuoc' root are added to enhance the flavor. Finally, the rice flour mixture is added, stirred, seasoned, and simmered to perfection.

Grilled Chicken Sa Lua, also known as Buon Don Grilled Chicken, is a distinctive and humble dish from the E De people in Buon Don. This dish holds a significant cultural meaning, rooted in the daily life and traditions of the E De community.

Grilled Chicken Sa Lua is a popular dish that the E De people often prepare when they go hunting in the forest. Famous for its unique flavor and simple preparation method, this dish has gained popularity among other ethnic groups in the region. The main ingredient in this dish is wild chicken, which the E De people catch while hunting. Today, it is commonly made with local or free-range chickens, which still maintain the original fresh taste.

The chicken is first cleaned and then split open from the breast to remove all internal organs. It is then flattened and seasoned. During grilling, the whole chicken is kept intact. The marinade consists of crushed salt and chili, lemon grass juice, 'é' leaves, and a bit of honey. The salt and chili are made from large grains of salt that are roasted evenly and then crushed with wild green chilies, 'é' leaves, and a touch of lemon grass. After the chicken is thoroughly marinated on both sides, it is left for 15-20 minutes to absorb the flavors before being grilled. Once cooked, Grilled Chicken Sa Lua is typically served with a side of 'é' leaf salt, ground salt, green chili, lemon, and is best enjoyed with sticky rice.

"Vech", in the E De language, refers to the small intestine of herbivorous animals. This part of the intestine contains both digestive juices and grass that has passed through the stomach. For the E De people, the vech from herbivores such as wild rabbits, goats, deer, or animals like buffalo and cattle raised in the forest, are the most preferred. These animals eat only grass and wild leaves, ensuring their intestines are clean and pure.

Vech is a beloved specialty of the E De people. During important festivals or special occasions, wealthy families or clans within the E De community would slaughter buffalo or cattle for offerings to the gods and to host the village. During such times, they would prepare the vech dish to serve the elders or honored guests in the family or at the ceremonies.

Preparing Vech is a meticulous process. The slaughtering of the cattle and extraction of the vech is done swiftly to avoid disrupting the inner organs. The most experienced person in the family selects a segment of small intestine close to the cow's stomach, ties both ends tightly with a string, and then cuts it off to set aside. This intestine segment is briefly boiled in hot water, and the digestive juices inside are squeezed out, mixed with water, filtered, and condensed before being seasoned. The rest of the offal, along with the skin, tail, meat, and other cuts, is boiled and then sliced. These are then cooked with the vech seasoning and additional spices such as chili, wild ginger, lemongrass, and forest pepper to enhance the dish’s richness.

Today, vech remains a cherished dish in the E De community, though it has been slightly adapted to suit modern family conditions.

Bitter Eggplant is a wild plant that produces larger fruits than the common eggplant. The E De people often use this unique vegetable in their daily meals, creating delicious dishes such as stir-fried bitter eggplant, braised bitter eggplant with frog, bitter eggplant stew, and the famous bitter eggplant soup with dried fish.

To make this special soup, they use dried fish heads, usually dried mackerel, which are pounded into a paste. This is then combined with garlic and onion, boiled in water to create a savory broth. Afterward, the bitter eggplant is added, along with some herbs and rice water to give the dish a slightly thick consistency. The E De people typically enjoy this dish with rice, and due to their custom of eating with their hands, they prepare the soup thick enough to scoop up with rice. The bitterness and spiciness of the soup enhance the overall flavor, and the bitter eggplant itself is considered a medicinal herb that boosts immunity.

According to the E De, bitter eggplant is never eaten raw like regular eggplant. It must be cooked. The fruit is often bought in bulk, sliced, dried, and hung in the kitchen to be used later. Before cooking, it is soaked in water for 5-10 minutes, softening the fruit without losing its signature bitterness.

When you journey through the majestic Central Highlands, in addition to its awe-inspiring natural beauty and warm-hearted people, you'll also experience the essence of this land through its distinct leaves. These leaves carry not just the flavors of nature but also the taste of the homeland, showcased in the region's signature dish – Forest Leaf Hotpot.

This special dish is traditionally reserved for honoring guests in the Central Highlands. The E De people invest a great deal of effort in gathering various leaves deep within the forests. To create the perfect hotpot, a wide selection of leaves is essential. Originally, it was a survival meal during times of scarcity, where various wild leaves were combined with wild boar meat, chili, and other spices to create an irresistibly fragrant and flavorful dish.

The Forest Leaf Hotpot is adored by the locals for its simplicity and the nutritional benefits it offers. It seems as though the very flavors of the forest, the endless green hills, have seeped into each leaf, allowing you to fully immerse in the spirit of the Central Highlands. There are over 10 types of leaves used in this dish, most of which were discovered by locals during their foraging expeditions. Initially, these leaves were used as wild greens during fieldwork, but as agricultural practices evolved, they became an iconic delicacy – the forest leaf hotpot.

The dish earns its name because the majority of the leaves used are foraged from the wild. Some of the leaves in this hotpot include: bitter-tasting lok vung, known for its medicinal properties, the blood-circulating lang leaf, the cooling sâm đất which provides great relief from heat, and kim căng leaves, known for promoting digestion and restful sleep. Other leaves such as Nhíp rừng hồng ngọc, diếp cá, rau sướng, mã đề, quế, húng, and thuyền đất offer various health benefits like detoxification and body balance. When you try this dish, you'll experience the unique flavors of wild greens that are hard to find anywhere else.