Typical culinary culture of the Cham people

The Cham community in Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces has two main sects: the Cham following Brahmanism and the Cham following Bani Islam. In addition, there is a small group following Islam, which was separated from Bani Islam and introduced to Ninh Thuan province in the 60s of the 20th century. In general cultural life, and culinary culture in particular, the Cham people of the two above sects have their own culinary characteristics and codes of conduct.

Dishes offered by Cham people to the gods on holidays

Culinary characteristics of the Cham people

According to Cham cultural researcher Inrasara, the ancestors of the ancient Cham people lived along the Central Coast - a land of much sun and wind, so geographical and climatic factors have greatly influenced the culinary characteristics of the Cham people. For example, in food preparation, the Cham people rarely use animal fat but mainly use vegetable oil to increase the fat content. The animals used for sacrifice (offering to the gods) are all animals with very little fat in their bodies such as chickens, goats, buffaloes, etc. Living in a land with harsh climates, in food preparation, the Cham people do not like fried dishes but mainly grilled and boiled dishes. In particular, the Cham people pay great attention to soups to balance body temperature in hot weather. A daily meal in a Cham family is rarely without soup, which can be wild vegetable soup, taro soup, etc. Especially, mixed vegetable soup (many kinds of vegetables cooked together) mixed with rice flour is a favorite dish of many people, even well-off families.

Cham people's steamed fish sauce

In cooking, the Cham people pay great attention to spices that make the dishes more flavorful and suitable for their taste, such as chili, onion, lemongrass, fish sauce, salt, etc. In Ninh Thuan, there is a famous spicy Cham village, which is the Cham village of Bani Luong Tri (Palei Cang), Nhon Son commune, Ninh Son district. More than 30 years ago, almost every house had a chili garden and stored dried chili as the main spice in cooking dishes from freshwater seafood such as fish, eel, frog, etc. Besides using many spices, in Cham dishes, muthin (fish sauce - a typical dipping sauce) is indispensable. There are many types of Cham fish sauce such as: Ia muthin (fish sauce), Muthin nguic (fish sauce), Muthin jrum (shrimp sauce), Muthin drei (fish sauce), Muthin tung ikan ya (tuna fish sauce), Muthin ritaung (fish sauce), Muthin ka-ơk (steamed fish sauce)...

Cham people are processing salted fish. Photo by Kieu Maly

Dining etiquette In ancient Cham families, people spread mats or mats in the East-West direction to serve meals. In the morning and afternoon, meals are usually served in the yard, and at noon, meals are served on the porch. Food is served on trays and people sit according to the family hierarchy. Women (mothers, sisters) often sit near the pots and pans, eating and adding food to everyone's food. Meals begin when the elders pick up chopsticks. During meals, no talking or arguing is allowed, and no food is spilled. In communal ceremonies, depending on the nature and religion of Brahmanism or Bani, Cham people have different ways of serving food. If it is a funeral in both religions, the food is served in the North-South direction, but if it is other ceremonies such as weddings or worshiping gods, they serve food in the East-West direction. The Brahman Cham people serve food on trays for two or four people. The Bani Cham people only serve food on trays for the two elders or dignitaries sitting at the top (called the upper tray). The lower trays will display food directly on the mat.

Cham people's vegetable and dipping sauce dish. (Photo by Kieu Maly)

The dignitaries of the two religions participating in the worship in the ceremonial house (Kajang), when sitting at the offering tray, must sit cross-legged and bite a grain of salt, performing the ritual of asking for permission with movements and silent chanting in their mouths. Cham men eating at communal houses or at home all sit in a cross-legged position. Women sit cross-legged like the dignitaries, which is the required standard posture. In any communal party, men are invited to eat and drink first, then women. Monks have strict taboos such as not eating catfish, meat of dead animals... Brahmin monks are not allowed to eat beef, Bani monks abstain from eating pork, monitor lizard meat and many other taboos. It can be seen that the culinary culture and the rules of behavior in eating and drinking of the Cham people have created a very unique "Cham culinary style", contributing to the rich and unique culinary culture of the 54 ethnic groups of Vietnam. Source: https://baodantoc.vn/van-hoa-am-thuc-dac-trung-cua-nguoi-cham-1733211716702.htm