Buzz
When Buon Ma Thuot city (Dak Lak province) is mentioned, many only recall the majestic mountains offering splendid Central Highlands tours, the rich red basalt soil, and the vibrant elephant racing festival... but they overlook an equally remarkable cultural aspect. That is the specialty dishes of Buon Ma Thuot.
Let's delve into the 12 most impressive specialties of Buon Ma Thuot:
Snakehead fish hotpot
This famous firm and fragrant snakehead fish can be used to prepare various dishes. However, the most impressive dish to use snakehead fish is undoubtedly the snakehead fish hotpot. On sunny days, this is one of the hotpot dishes that can 'cool off' the summer. When enjoying the hotpot, you can also have it with red noodles from Buon Ma Thuot.
In addition to snakehead fish hotpot, snakehead fish stew or soup are also extremely appealing dishes.
Beef dipped in tamarind sauce
Just hearing the name may already tantalize the taste buds. This dish consists of thinly sliced beef dipped in sweet and sour tamarind water. When enjoying it, diners can also have it with bread. The sweet and sour taste of the tamarind sauce, the fragrant aroma of fried garlic, and the tender aroma of beef... All blend together, making you keep eating without getting tired.
Fried cake
Although not a famous specialty of Buon Ma Thuot, it is very popular with students here. After each school hour, a group of students rush out of the school gate to enjoy the hot fried cakes. The fragrant fried cakes are cut into small pieces, with a little spicy chili sauce added. Simple yet surprisingly delicious.
Red noodle soup
The reason why this dish is called red noodle soup is because of the characteristic red color of the broth. A bowl of steaming hot noodles is filled with crab bricks, quail eggs, a little fat topside. Plus a little purple shrimp paste, ground chili, and blanched vegetables. All the ingredients blend together to create a wonderful taste. The dish tastes even better when you enjoy it during the chilly evenings in Buon Ma Thuot.
The best place to enjoy this specialty of Buon Ma Thuot is the sidewalk stall at the corner of Le Duan - Phan Dinh Giot streets.
Catfish noodle soup
This is a well-known delicacy in Buon Ma Thuot. The deliciousness of the catfish noodle soup lies not only in the sweet, sour, and spicy broth but also in the quality of the soft and fragrant catfish slices, devoid of any bones. Especially, even if you mash the catfish slices into the broth, the bowl of catfish noodle soup never becomes too fishy. On the contrary, it becomes even more delicious and appealing. In addition to the mashed catfish slices, a full bowl of catfish noodle soup also includes fish cake, fish maw, and large pork knuckles. To enjoy this dish, you can visit eateries along Ba Trieu, Le Thanh Tong, or Hai Ba Trung streets...
Bitter melon
Bitter eggplant
Bamboo shoot
The bamboo tree belongs to the bamboo family and is a typical species in this Central Highlands region. The tree has a very strong spreading power and remarkably resilient. Bamboo shoots grow from the top of the tree and can be used fresh or sliced and dried. Bamboo shoots are also among the most delicious types of common forest bamboo shoots such as bamboo shoot, bamboo shoot...
Bamboo shoots have a sweet, non-bitter taste, very suitable for cooking many attractive dishes. These include: mixed bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots cooked with duck meat, stir-fried bamboo shoots with liver...
Wild vine vegetable
If bitter eggplant and cloud buds bring a bitter taste, then the specialty wild vine vegetable offers a sweet and mellow flavor. Hidden under the ground during the six dry months, it emerges vigorously when the rainy season arrives. The tender green sprouts, stretching as if they have accumulated countless nutrients from the soil and water during the dry season, eagerly await their sprouting day. Despite its delicate appearance, the wild vine vegetable looks quite succulent and fragile. The stems are crisp and easy to break, the leaves resemble coriander leaves, and are prone to bruising and damage. However, the vegetable has a sweet and mellow taste that is indescribable.
To eat wild vine vegetable, it must be cooked with various ingredients such as wild bamboo shoots, arrowroot tubers, and mushrooms. When eaten, it has a mellow taste on the tongue at first, then gradually becomes sweet in the throat. It is truly an unforgettable experience as the flavor unfolds, offering a blend of bitterness, spiciness, sweetness, and mellowness in just one dish.
Forest vegetable hotpot
Forest greens stew
Catfish simmered with galangal
Catfish in this region typically inhabit rushing waterfalls and can only adapt to this environment. During preparation, a pinch of salt is added to firm up the fish, then clean galangal is mashed and mixed in. Next, all ingredients are placed in a pot to simmer. The fragrant aroma of catfish combined with galangal and spices creates an irresistible dish. Just a whiff is enough to make diners crave more.
Grilled beef wrapped in wild betel leaf
Northern steamed rice rolls, locally known as rolled cakes, are a familiar dish. However, pork steamed rice rolls in Buon Me Thuot are distinct. The novelty and appeal of the dish come from the unique way it's enjoyed, giving diners the sensation of eating a salad or spring roll, with the rice paper serving as the wrapper.
This dish comprises various ingredients: steamed rice rolls, grilled pork, pickled cucumber, shredded green mango, pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, chili fish sauce... When eating, diners roll all the ingredients inside the steamed rice roll and then dip it into flavorful fish sauce. The taste is truly delicious and refreshing.
To enjoy this dish, tourists can visit Tran Nhat Duat Street in Buon Ma Thuot.
Cloud buds
Another specialty of Buon Ma Thuot with its distinctive bitterness, but not bitter eggplant. It's the wild buds growing densely in the forest. Only tender, plump buds about three or four finger lengths are selected. For cooking, the buds are stripped of their leaves, softened by grilling, then torn into small strands. These strands of buds, when cooked with fish, meat, or fish sauce, all become delicious and enticing specialties.
Posted by: Towards Nguyen Tien
Keywords: 12 Specialty Dishes with Strong Central Highlands Flavor When Coming to Buon Ma Thuot
