The Central Highlands, a majestic highland region with captivating wild beauty, is renowned not only for its stunning waterfalls or vast forests but also for a unique, deeply cultural cuisine. The specialties of the Central Highlands represent a harmonious blend between the flavors of the mountains and the craftsmanship of the local people, creating unforgettable dishes for travelers. Let’s explore the attractions of the Central Highlands’ cuisine!
Unforgettable Specialties of the Central Highlands
Bản Đôn Grilled Chicken
When mentioning Central Highlands specialties, we cannot overlook Bản Đôn grilled chicken. The chicken here is exceptionally delicious due to the elaborate free-range farming method, where chickens roam freely to forage insects, tender grass, and paddy rice. To infuse the meat with its distinctive flavor, lemongrass water—pounded and extracted—is used liberally. The marinated chicken is glazed with honey for an appealing color and grilled evenly over charcoal. Once cooked, it is shredded and dipped in chili salt or lemongrass salt, served with bamboo rice and can wine for a delightful taste.
Bản Đôn grilled chicken, a must-try dish in the Central Highlands
Bản Đôn grilled chicken is meticulously marinated and grilled over charcoal, served with chili salt or lemongrass salt.
Enjoy Bản Đôn grilled chicken by the flickering fire, with can wine and bamboo rice
The cozy atmosphere by the fire complements the savory taste of Bản Đôn grilled chicken.
Sêrêpôk River Catfish
The catfish from the Sêrêpôk River, a favorite ingredient in many restaurants and hotels, offers diverse dishes. Freshwater catfish can be transformed into sweet, grilled delicacies or a perfect choice for refreshing spicy and sour hot pots during summer days.
The catfish meat is sweet, fatty, and aromatic, easy to eat
Fresh and nutritious Sêrêpôk River catfish.
Spicy and sour catfish hotpot is an excellent heat-relief choice
Catfish hotpot offers a perfect choice for hot summer days.
Leaf Salad
Leaf Salad from the Central Highlands, one of the top 10 Vietnamese specialties with profound culinary value, is comprised of over 40 different leaves, each imparting a distinct flavor. These leaves are wrapped around thinly sliced pork belly, pig skin, and sautéed shrimp, all dipped in a thick, flavorful sauce, creating a sweet, sour, spicy, and creamy delight. Enjoying leaf salad with can wine further enhances the experience.
Each type of leaf brings a different flavor, making the diverse taste of the Central Highlands’ leaf salad
The variety of ingredients creates the richness of leaf salad.
Leaf salad includes over 40 different types of leaves
Leaf salad is a delicate combination of various forest leaves.
Grilled Bamboo Shoots with Beef Tripe
An unique Central Highlands specialty, offering a unique yet delightful flavor. The beef tripe has a slightly bitter and strong taste but is chewy and flavorful when chewed. The tripe is stir-fried with bamboo shoots and best enjoyed with hot steamed rice.
Grilled bamboo shoots with beef tripe, a specialty dish of the Ede people
A dish enriching the flavor of the Central Highlands mountains and forests.
The dish features distinctive tastes: bitter, spicy, sweet, and nutty
The unique combination of ingredients creates a distinctive taste.
Gia Lai Dry Pho
The distinctive feature of Gia Lai dry pho is the two bowls: one of mixed pho with fried onions, minced meat, carrots, and ground chili; the other, a broth of beef, beef balls, and scallions. Particularly noteworthy is the fermented black soybean paste, mixed with the dry pho. Enjoy the dry pho with fresh vegetables such as lettuce, bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, and more for an even more appealing experience.
Gia Lai dry pho consists of two bowls: the mixed pho bowl and the broth
The unique combination of dry pho and broth.
Enjoy the dry pho, then sip the broth to savor its sweet taste
An exciting and unique culinary experience.
Can Wine
Can wine is a must-have drink for hosting esteemed guests or during festivals of the Central Highlands’ ethnic groups, representing the hospitality and unity of the people here. There are various types of can wine: millet wine, rice wine, and sorghum wine…
Can wine is light, aromatic, and has a honey-like color
Can wine is a distinctive cultural aspect of the Central Highlands.
Can wine, a cultural beauty full of identity in the Central Highlands
Can wine contributes to the unique cultural identity of this land.
Grilled Free-Range Pork
Free-range pork, raised naturally, is notably firmer and tastier than other types of pork. This pork features thicker skin and firmer, leaner meat while being tender and flavorful. Its glossy color is maintained by brushing a mixture of soda, lemon juice, and malt before grilling. Two popular dishes are spicy salt grilled free-range pork (sweeter) and highland grilled pork (more robust flavor).
Grilled free-range pork has a golden, appealing color after grilling
The enticing color of grilled free-range pork.
Pigs raised naturally result in firmer and tastier meat
Meat quality is ensured by traditional farming methods.
Đắk Lắk Red Noodles
The distinctive red color of the noodles comes from being immersed in a broth made from pork bones, crab roe, and particularly annatto seeds. Thick, chewy noodles are served with crab paste (made from crab meat, thinly sliced pork, and fried pork fat), boiled quail eggs, celery, bean sprouts, and more, creating a harmonious and heartwarming flavor.
Red noodles are named after the color of the noodles
Đắk Lắk red noodles, a signature dish from this region.
Red noodles are not only delicious and visually appealing but also affordable
A rustic yet enticing dish.