Poached Gobies and Galingale

A trip to Dak Lak not only gives you a chance to enjoy the majestic scenery of forests and mountains or the interesting traditional festivals but it also provides you a chance to try the most distinctive cuisines which represent the land of Central Highlands region, one of which is the Poached Gobies and Galingale dish.

Illustrative image
Illustrative image

Even though gobies can be found in many other areas of the country, the gobies in the Central Highlands region still stand out from others for their unique flavor. These fish live in the spectacular waterfalls, which flow vigorously every day to blend into the concerto of the forest. Normally, such an environment would be nearly impossible to live in. However, the gobies in the Central Highlands region have completely adjusted to this harsh environment, which in turn gives them their small, white and round-shaped bodies.

During the first weeks of March, in the Central Highlands region, the ethnic people start preparing for a new harvest. During the daytime, whenever they want to cook, they can just go to the waterfall to catch the bogies. The fishes are then brought onto the ground. People clean them and mix them with salt and spices until they become harder. Galingales are then prepared and crushed. The very next step is to pour oil onto the pan and boil it before pouring the fishes and the galingale in until the mixture reaches a tempting yellow colour. The smell of galingale and gobies spreads everywhere. After a few minutes when everything has been well blended, the cook pours fish sauce, salt and other spices such as peppers, onions, chilies, sugar and seasoning power to create the unique flavor.

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