Forest Cuisine Tells Stories of the Highlands

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Traditional dishes for a gratitude ritual

Every spring, A Luoi residents venture into the forest to seek ingredients for traditional dishes. One unique specialty is A Choor stream fish grilled over hot coals. The fish, caught from crystal-clear streams, is marinated with wild pepper, chili, and ginger, then wrapped in banana leaves and buried in hot ashes. When cooked, the fish releases an enticing aroma, with sweet, firm meat rich in natural flavor.“A Choor stream fish is best when grilled with charcoal fire and buried in ashes to keep the fish moist. When you peel back the banana leaves, the fragrance of fish mixed with leaves and wild pepper makes everyone exclaim in delight. My family prepares this dish every year to serve guests,” shares Ho Thi Don, a 35-year-old Pa Co ethnic woman from Hong Thuong commune.

Another notable dish is bamboo tube-grilled meat, both rustic and refined. Pieces of local pork marinated with wild leek leaves, salt, and wild pepper are stuffed into young bamboo tubes and slowly grilled over fire. When the bamboo tube chars, the meat’s aroma blends with the fragrance of bamboo, creating an unforgettable flavor.

Le Thi Mai, a 45-year-old Ta Oi woman from Hong Kim commune, enthusiastically shares: “Not everyone knows how to prepare delicious bamboo tube-grilled meat. The key is using fresh bamboo, and the meat must be marinated for at least a few hours with mountain forest spices. This dish paired with hot sticky rice is wonderful.”

During major festivals of the local communities, particularly the Aza Koonh festival - an important ritual of the Ta Oi people - signature dishes are prepared. People prepare together bamboo rice, grilled chicken, and aquat cakes. Aquat cake is considered a symbol of happiness, prosperity, and humanitarian spirit, overcoming hardships, so this cake is present in almost all important ceremonies of the Ta Oi people.

Besides savory dishes, locals also have unique vegetarian dishes from forest vegetables like banana flower salad, stir-fried fern with garlic, or taro soup with stream fish. These dishes are not only delicious but also healthy, helping locals withstand the harsh mountain climate.

A Luoi is also famous for traditional wines, considered the soul of spring feasts. Tr'din wine of the Co Tu people is one of the most special wines. Without distillation, tr'din wine is taken directly from tr'din trees deep in the forest. People only need to slash a line on the tree trunk, collect the wine liquid in tubes, and let it naturally ferment. When enjoyed, the wine has a mild sweetness, a subtle fragrance of forest wood, bringing a pleasant, comfortable feeling.

Nguyen Hoai Nam, a 79-year-old Co Tu village elder from Hong Ha commune, proudly states: "Tr'din wine is heaven’s gift to the Co Tu people. In the past, our ancestors used it to serve honored guests because it was rare and only found deep in the forest. Young people today still enjoy it, but not everyone has the opportunity to taste the authentic tr'din wine with its distinctive flavor of mountains and forests.”

Besides tr'din wine, A Luoi people also have ta vat wine extracted from the doac tree, which Kinh people call doac wine. To obtain the fragrant wine, people must climb to the top of the doac tree, cut off some leaves, then use a knife to slash a line on the trunk to extract the sap for fermentation. This process takes many days, requiring patience and experience from the harvester. Ta vat wine has a sweet taste when first extracted, gradually changing to a slightly sour and more intense flavor after several days of fermentation.

Le Van Hoa, a-38-year-old Ta Oi ethnic group, from A Ngo commune shares: "Tet or any ethnic festival cannot be without ta vat wine. Drinking wine is not about getting drunk, but about connecting and becoming closer to each other. The wine should be sipped slowly, tasting the sweetness of the doac tree, the spiciness of the yeast, before gradually appreciating the warmth of mountain people.”

Ms. Le Thi Them, Head of the Culture and Information Department of A Luoi district, shares: “A Luoi cuisine not only carries the flavor of mountains and forests but also contains the unique cultural characteristics of the ethnic groups. From the selection and preparation of ingredients to the enjoyment of dishes, every step is deeply intertwined with nature and the communal way of life. Food is not just for filling the stomach but also a way for locals to preserve and pass on their identity.”

Each dish and each cup of wine is a story about nature, people, and the identity of Truong Son. Simple meals in the mountains and stories told around flickering fires - all create an A Luoi that touches the hearts of all who have been to.

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