Poached Gobies and Galingale

A trip to Dak Lak does not only give 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 Tay Nguyen, one of which is the Poached Gobies and Galingale dish.

Even though gobies can be found in many other areas of the country, the gobies in Tay Nguyen still stands out from others for its unique flavor. These fishes live in the spectacular waterfalls, which are flowing vigorously every day to blend into the concerto of the forest. Normally, such environment can be nearly impossible to live in. However, the gobies in Tay Nguyen can total adjust to this harsh environment, which in turn give them their small, white and round-shaped bodies.

During the first weeks of March, in Tay Nguyen, the ethnic people start preparing for a new harvest. During the daytime, whenever they want to cook, they can just come to a waterfall to catch the bogies. The fishes are then brought onto the ground. People clean them and mix them with salt and spice 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 color. The smell of galingale, gobies spreads all over the space. 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.