Gia Lai cuisine in Hanoi autumn

(GLO)- Amid the chilly weather of Hanoi's autumn, Gia Lai province's culinary booth at the Autumn Delicacies Food Festival (Autumn Fair 2025) taking place in Hanoi brought visitors the rich, rustic flavors of the great land and the warmth of the "nậu" coastal region.

Rich flavor of the Central Highlands

Grilled chicken, bamboo rice, grilled pork skewers are rustic dishes imbued with cultural identity and closely associated with the lives of the Bahnar and Jrai people in the West of Gia Lai . These dishes are both simple and sophisticated in every step of preparation.

Coming to the Autumn Fair, Kgiang villagers (To Tung commune) carefully selected ingredients to prepare delicious dishes to serve diners and also to promote and introduce the unique culinary culture of their people.

Mr. Dinh Van Binh (Kgiang village, To Tung commune) grilled chicken to serve tourists. Photo: Phi Long

Mr. Dinh Van Binh - a member of the culinary team from Kgiang village - shared: "We must choose free-range chickens, weighing 1.4-1.6 kg, so that the meat is firm, sweet and chewy. Bamboo rice uses sticky rice grown by the locals, cooked in bamboo tubes of moderate size so that the rice grains are sticky and fragrant. As for grilled pork, we also choose pigs raised with clean bran. We want through these dishes, diners to understand and love more the culinary culture of the Bahnar people and the Central Highlands people."

Under the skillful hands of the Kgiang people, each skewer of meat and each tube of sticky rice has the aroma of new sticky rice, mixed with the smell of kitchen smoke, reminiscent of the bustling communal house festivals in the great forest.

The "rustic" taste in the heart of the capital

Mr. Tran Buu Thuong - Head Chef of Muong Thanh Quy Nhon Hotel prepares Quy Nhon fish noodle soup for diners. Photo: Phi Long

Not only bringing the taste of the mountains and forests, Gia Lai culinary stall also introduces Quy Nhon fish noodle soup and Tay Son rice rolls - 2 famous dishes of the ancient land of Binh Dinh, now the eastern part of Gia Lai province after the administrative boundary arrangement.

Quy Nhon fish noodle soup conquers diners with the sweet taste of the broth simmered from fish bones and fish heads, along with chewy, fragrant fish cakes, made entirely from fresh fish caught by local fishermen, seasoned according to a traditional secret recipe.

Tay Son rice rolls are attractive because of their thin, soft layers, rich meat filling, and sweet and sour dipping sauce mixed with a little spice, creating a harmonious flavor that is easy to eat in the cold autumn weather.

Gia Lai province's culinary booth attracts many tourists at the Thu My Vi Culinary Festival. Photo: Phi Long

Mr. Tran Buu Thuong - Head Chef of Muong Thanh Quy Nhon Hotel - said: "Quy Nhon fish noodle soup and Tay Son rice rolls are two typical rustic dishes that have been associated with the people of "Xu Nau" for many generations. This time, we bring them to the Autumn Fair to promote and introduce to the people of the Capital, and friends everywhere about the cuisine of Gia Lai today".

Warming flavors in the middle of Hanoi's autumn

Amidst the bustling festival atmosphere and billowing incense, diners in the capital feel like they are “walking” through faraway lands, with special dishes from the people in the East of the red basalt land and the West of the salty sea of ​​Gia Lai.

Mrs. Pham Thi Mui's family ((tourist from Hung Yen province) enjoys grilled chicken and bamboo rice. Photo: Phi Long

While enjoying the bamboo rice and grilled chicken dish, Mrs. Pham Thi Mui (in Hung Yen province) shared: "Taking advantage of the time, my family went to Hanoi to visit the Autumn Fair and enjoy the special dishes of the regions. I really like bamboo rice so I went to the Gia Lai stall. The sticky rice is fragrant, the grilled chicken is just right, and the salt is very flavorful. In the cold autumn weather, it is wonderful to eat this dish."

Phung Huy Quang (Hanoi) and his mother enjoyed fish noodle soup and Tay Son rice rolls. He said: “We went through many stalls and tried all the dishes, but the most impressive was the “Xu Nau” flavor. A hot bowl of noodles in the middle of Hanoi’s autumn makes people feel warm again.”

Autumn Delicacies Festival space. Photo: Phi Long

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Chung - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Gia Lai province, participating in the Autumn Delicacies Food Festival is an opportunity for Gia Lai to introduce its tourism potential, culture and unique cuisine to people across the country.

“Gia Lai is a land of convergence between the great plateau and the blue sea and white sand, where the cultures of 44 ethnic groups meet. When assigned to be in charge of the booth promoting tourism and cuisine at the 2025 Autumn Fair with the theme “Connecting people with production and business”, we coordinated with the Department of Industry and Trade to prepare carefully.

As for the culinary booth, the province selected the most special dishes from the East and West regions to introduce to diners in the capital and visitors from near and far," said Ms. Chung.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/am-thuc-gia-lai-trong-mua-thu-ha-noi-post570436.html