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Crystal-eyed catfish- A culinary masterpiece of the Serepok River in the Central Highlands

The mysterious and wild Serepok line is bestowed by nature for the crystal-eyed catfish, associated with many legendary stories and many famous delicacies.

 Crystal-eyed catfish to the catfish family and especially likes rivers with lots of waves, fast-flowing water and many rapids. In particular, red-tailed scads often live in the Serepok River, which flows through Krong No and Cu Jut districts, Dak Nong province. Red-tailed lentils are processed into many delicious dishes such as braised, hot pot, grilled, fried, steamed, fried with garlic or cooked with porridge. Especially, every dish is delicious because the fish meat is fatty, has a sweet taste and is very nutritious.

Crystal-eyed catfish- A culinary masterpiece of the Serepok River in the Central Highlands


Red-tailed salmon is processed into many delicious dishes (Photo: mia)

In the past, there were many lentils, some as big as a calf. However, according to many Ede village elders, catching the trout on the Serepok River is a tough and risky struggle. Shark hunters must accept the risk of following forest floods, finding dangerous rivers and absolutely obeying the paradox of the river flowing backwards.

Many years ago, the Ede people knew how to stab fish with javelins. When the flood water rose, the shark hunter carried many tools into the river, crashing into fish as big as driftwood. The fish hunter stood on the boat patiently ambushed and waited for the fish to approach, then launched the javelin. A spear as long as a person’s head pierced the fish’s body. The hunters let the fish struggle, and at the same time rowed the boat, waiting until the stingray came to the surface to use the rope to pull the fish onto the boat.

Salmon hot pot dish has a strong mountain sound (Photo: Flyfood)

To catch big fish, the fisherman must use a fishing line the size of his little finger, which is connected with 3-4 extremely strong ropes; and the hook is as big as a hand, made entirely from homemade steel. Therefore, shark hunters need to have good health, experience and cunning, not simply win a “duels” with fish.

From this excellent source of ingredients, with skillful hands, talented chefs of the Central Highlands have processed salmon into many different delicious and nutritious dishes such as: steamed halibut with lemon, halibut Grilled with lemongrass, fried lentils with sour bamboo shoots or braised lentils with turmeric and then cooked porridge, braised melon, braised bananas, grilled galangal, fried with garlic, steamed beer, made rolls, mixed with sprouts… However, the most impressive thing is still to be Not to mention the hot pot of salmon with extremely unique flavor, bearing the sound of mountains and forests.

1. Salmon hotpot

Lang fish hot pot is a delicious and nutritious dish, a specialty of Dak Lak in particular and the Central Highlands in general, with a cooling effect, especially chosen in the hot summer.

Fish bones are used to simmer to make hot pot (Photo: mia)

In order to have a delicious and quality hotpot, you must choose really strong, fresh, firm meat, less bones, and sweet water. The processing of salmon is extremely meticulous, requiring the skill and virtuosity of the processor, because if the seasoning process only needs to be “a little bit wrong”, it will lose the extremely attractive flavor of the fish. this smooth leather.

Due to the characteristic of only one turn of the spine running along the body, when making fish, just use a sharp knife, skillfully cut along the sides of the body to filter out fresh, thick pieces of fish meat. After that, the fish meat is marinated with galangal juice, turmeric with batches, shrimp paste and fish sauce for 1 hour.

Pangasius hotpot is a delicious and nutritious dish that has a cooling effect (Photo: yeuamthucdaklak)

Salmon bones are used to simmer to make hot pot. Just eat hot pot and feel the delicious taste that permeates to the roots of the sweet fish meat mixed with the sour taste of spices as an indispensable remedy for any taste. The hot pot of Srepok river lentils is even more attractive when there is a full combination of vegetables such as bitter vegetables, banana flowers, celery, broccoli, basil, mint…

2. Charcoal Grilled Salmon

Many people say that when grilled fish in the Serepok River is grilled on embers, it’s delicious and incomparable. That “unmatched” technique is thanks to the recipe of the salmon, which is wrapped in a type of forest leaf and then grilled, so it has an extremely attractive taste.

Grilled lentils sweet, chewy, fragrant (Photo: Fish pan)

Of course, salmon used for grilling must be caught from the Serepok River for sweet, chewy, and fragrant fish. According to the sharing of the people here, when brought back, the salmon is not only washed but also needs to be soaked with water mixed with a little white wine. Then, use a knife to cut diagonally across the body of the fish, or if you prefer, you can cut into circles.

Finely chop lemongrass, chili, red onion, green onion and put it in a bowl. Next, add honey, oyster sauce, fish sauce, five spices, monosodium glutamate, seasoning, salt, sugar and cooking oil. To make the fish have an eye-catching yellow color, add a little cashew oil to create color. Marinate for about 30 minutes for the fish to absorb the spices and then place the fish on the grill on the charcoal stove.

Charcoal grilled salmon attracts diners by its rich aroma (Photo: thegioicombo)

Occasionally turn the grill over to prevent the fish from burning. The griller also has to always use a brush to brush the sauce on the surface so that the fish does not dry out.

When listening to the sound of fat sizzling down the embers, the piece of fish turns brown, giving off a seductive aroma of fish meat and the batch is the completion of the baking process.

Dipping sauce plays an extremely important role with grilled fish. People minced lemongrass, forest leaves, salt and a little pepper, put it in a pan on the stove and stir it by hand. Next, add a little cashew oil, ground chili and stir well, then turn off the heat to complete a bowl of fragrant grilled lentil fish sauce.

Charcoal grilled salmon is delicious like no other (Photo: Too delicious restaurant)

Charcoal grilled salmon attracts diners by its rich aroma, pieces of golden fish arranged on a plate with the green color of herbs, a bowl of colorful dipping sauce, just looking at it is enough to make your mouth water.

Put a piece of lentils on top of rice paper with herbs, add slices of green banana, sour star fruit, pineapple (fragrance, pineapple) and some fresh vermicelli tightly rolled, dipped in fish sauce that is both spicy and sweet with garlic. , chili, lemon, sugar. And yet, the charcoal-grilled fish also gives off the rich taste of roasted peanuts (peanuts) like collecting the essence of the Central Highlands. All the aftertaste stays on the tip of the tongue of the diners, even though their stomach is full, they still crave and want to eat more.

3. Salmon cooked with bamboo shoots, hum with bitter coffee

The Central Highlands people have many unique and strange dishes associated with bitter eggplant such as bitter eggplant cooked with frog, bitter eggplant braised with beef, bitter eggplant pounded with salt and pepper, bitter tomato salad with dried fish, bitter gourd cooked with bitter tomato… Mainly growing in coffee and pepper fields, the fruit is larger than the coffee cannon, green with white stripes, with many spines on the stem.

Mangosteen cooked with bamboo shoots, bitter um ca is a strange dish (Photo: mia)

Also from the available ingredients, the local people prepare a very special dish: salmon with bamboo shoots, bitter gourd. The signature dish promises to be the perfect choice in the culinary discovery journey of the majestic land of thousands.

Mangosteen cooked with bamboo shoots, with bitter um, is considered an interesting dish in both color and taste. From the golden color of the fish braise to the greasy taste of each piece of bacon, the sweetness of the salmon and the sourness of the bamboo shoots, adding a bit of the natural bitterness of the eggplant and the pungent taste of the chili. A perfect combination creates a special dish, the delicious taste spreads to the teeth. Enjoying such delicious dishes, diners will fully appreciate the quintessence and uniqueness of the cuisine in the deep blue ocean.

Salmon mixed with sprouts is a delicious and novel appetizer (Photo: bachhoaxanh)

To be able to create this mouth-watering but very special dish, every stage is prepared meticulously and meticulously by the people. Even the enjoyment must be done in a methodical way, “right process” to “out” the characteristic of the dish. You have to slowly inhale, sip the spoons of broth that is still hot and then slowly feel the full sweetness of the dish, letting your soul melt with each piece of fragrant fish that gradually melts in your mouth.

Grilled lentils with pak cum leaves dipped in salt and pepper mixed with crushed green chili is also an irresistible delicacy of the Ede people. The sour taste of bamboo shoots, a bit of bitterness of eggplant or păk cum leaves, the pungent taste of chili plus the sweetness of fish form a rich, passionate flavor that is unforgettable.

Visit the plateau on windy days, enjoy delicious dishes made from salmon with a cup of fragrant can wine, ensuring that diners “get drunk and forget the way home”.

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