Lam Rice (Cơm Lam)

Lam Rice is considered as the food that represents Tay Nguyen, because it embraces the most elegant taste of the cool streams and the fragrance of the borderless bamboo forests.

Originally, Lam Rice was invented by the men who had to go on extremely long trips into the forest. Among their equipment, a bamboo pipe full of Lam Rice was their most valuable asset. Nowadays, Lam Rice has become not only a daily food, but also a speciality which tourists from everywhere find tempting and irresistible.

Making the right Lam Rice dish requires meticulousness. First of all, we have to find the right kind of bamboo which tastes and smells like corn. After washing the bamboos, we cut them into small pieces (about 20cm each). The rice used to make Lam Rice is called Khau Tan, which is white, soft, and sweet-smelling. We pour the rice into a bowl of transparent stream water, add salt and mix them all together. Rice is then inserted into the pipes and grilled. This combination of rice and fresh water of the forest creates a dish that has the special taste of the wilderness and the capability to mesmerize anyone who is lucky enough to try only one bite.

When the rice is cooked, we must skillfully removes the burned outer layers until there is only one thin layer of bamboo covering the rice. Each pipe of rice is then cut again into 5 to 7 pieces. When eating, we only have to remove the thin bamboo layer.

Even though each person appreciates Lam Rice in his own way, it is widely known and agreed that the rice tastes best with grilled chicken or grilled pork (which are also grilled in bamboo pipes) and especially with roasted sesame and salt!