Buzz
More than just captivating landscapes of the highlands, the Tây Nguyên region also delights visitors with grilled chicken, imbued with rich cultural heritage.
Inextricably linked with renowned tourist destinations such as Đà Lạt, Buôn Mê Thuột, Pleiku, Kon Tum… it's no wonder that the Tây Nguyên region welcomes millions of visitors annually. Besides admiring the stunning scenery of places like Biển Hồ (Gia Lai), Lake Lắc (Buôn Đôn), the Valley of Love, Xuan Huong Lake (Đà Lạt), Kon Tum Wooden Church… tourists also have the opportunity to savor culturally rich dishes such as stone-grilled beef, rice wine, bamboo-cooked rice, and grilled wild boar meat…
It would be incomplete not to mention the grilled chicken, known locally as 'fire chicken'. This simple dish, crafted from free-range chickens, marinated and grilled over open flames, emits an enticing aroma that beckons travelers and is hard to resist.
According to many, this dish originated from the Êđê ethnic people in Buôn Đôn (Đăk Lăk). From there, it spread across the Tây Nguyên region with various versions and cooking methods. However, what remains most significant is its enduringly delicious and distinctive flavor.
To prepare this dish, the key ingredient is undoubtedly the chicken. According to local wisdom, the chicken must be free-range, primarily feeding on natural forage and insects to ensure firmness and sweetness in its meat. Grilled chicken should ideally be selected from chickens weighing under 1kg. Larger chickens may result in tough meat, while smaller ones may have an undesirable odor.
Prepping the Chicken: A Culinary Ritual in the Tây Nguyên Mountains
During grilling, the chicken is meticulously turned to achieve a golden, crispy finish without burning. On chilly evenings in the mountainous forests, gathering around the fire pit in the communal house and personally tending to each slowly cooking chicken is an experience like no other. Once fully grilled, the chicken is torn into small pieces and served with salted lá é leaves (a spice leaf abundant in the Tây Nguyên mountain forests, finely crushed with rock salt and green chili) alongside soft, fragrant bamboo rice tubes.
The fragrant, sweet aroma of the chicken harmonizes with the rich, spicy flavor of the lá é salt, leaving travelers enraptured as they indulge. Even when far from the Tây Nguyên region, the desire to return to this land and savor this enticing, flavorful grilled chicken once again is undeniable.
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Source: Travel Handbook by Mytour – According to Vnexpress
MytourNovember 1st, 2013
