Binh Thuan: Speciality of the Cham Cuisine brought into Tourism services

Ingredients from local products
There is no need for high-end ingredients to create culinary delights. The locally available ingredients, skillfully prepared by the local people, have become attractive dishes, thanks to the combination of various vegetables, spices, shrimp, fish, and meat. Some typical dishes in the festivals of the Cham people in Binh Thuan include ginger cake, sticky rice with sweet soup, braised fish, and grilled fish. The culinary culture of the Cham people in Binh Thuan is an indispensable part of the cultural identity of the Central and Southern provinces of Vietnam. This is a unique and diverse culture that reflects the material and spiritual life of the Cham community.
In addition to folk festivals, traditional costumes, and crafts, cuisine also plays an important role in introducing Cham culture to tourists. For the Cham people of Binh Thuan, cuisine is not about extravagant dishes but rather about the elegance and simplicity that can create delicious and flavorful meals using simple ingredients like vegetables, meat, or fish sauce. This simplicity lies in how the Cham people preserve and promote the traditional values of their cuisine to pass on to future generations. Those who visit the Cham village and enjoy traditional dishes will sense the elegance and simplicity of this cuisine. Besides savory dishes, the Cham people in Binh Thuan also have many types of cakes, mainly made for religious ceremonies and weddings. Common types of cakes include Tet cake, steamed rice rolls, and ginger cakes. Like many other ethnic culinary traditions, the specialties of the Cham people in Binh Thuan represent the conditions of the sunny and windy climate. Each specialty embodies a spirit that speaks to the simplicity and straightforwardness of life, even though the ingredients all come from the local fields, mountains, and seas.

Traditional Ginger Cake of the Cham People. Photo: D. Hoa

However, the flavors and preparation methods create a distinct difference that is hard to replicate. Because of this, the culinary traits of each ethnic group carry their own unique mark, characterized by simple dishes. For the Cham people in Binh Thuan, cuisine is not about extravagance; it embodies elegance and simplicity. This elegance and simplicity are qualities that anyone can appreciate. The cuisine of the Cham people in Binh Thuan is rich and has many unique nuances, contributing to a dining style that is entirely different from that of other ethnic groups.
Incorporating Cham Cuisine into the Menu
Recently, the cuisine of the Cham people in Binh Thuan has been emphasized as a unique tourism product of the province. Specifically, during the Katê Festival, the organizers set up a dedicated area to introduce the traditional culture of the Cham people, including their cuisine. As a result, the culinary culture of the Cham people has been widely promoted, attracting more and more tourists to the Cham festivals. Especially in early November 2024, the Pandanus Resort, located in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet City, organized a Cultural - Culinary Festival of the Cham people, with a highlight being the introduction of Cham cuisine. Within the grounds of the Blue Lagoon restaurant, visitors can enjoy a colorful and flavorful “Cham Buffet” featuring specialty dishes such as: goat meat with dipping sauce served with fresh herbs, spiced grilled goat, grilled chicken with rich rice, mango salad with anchovies, ginger cake, and more, all prepared and cooked by Cham culinary artisans. Among the distinctive dishes of the Cham people, the goat meat dipping sauce is noteworthy; this traditional dish has now been expanded to restaurants. Although the dish is not complicated, it requires a special blend to create its unique flavor. Nowadays, any Cham family can prepare this dish. During the festivals of the Cham people in Binh Thuan, this dish is indispensable, as it is a delicious preparation made from goat meat, including two main dishes: boiled goat meat and goat meat dipping sauce. Currently, this characteristic dish of the Cham people in Binh Thuan is not widely known in the market; it can only be enjoyed when tourists visit the Cham village.
The Cuisine of the Cham People: An Important Mark of Attraction for Tourists
The cuisine of the Cham people is an important hallmark that reflects the attractiveness of the destination for tourists, but it has not yet been fully exploited. The dishes are entirely rustic, just as they were prepared by generations hundreds of years ago. The only difference lies in the presentation and understanding of certain eating habits of tourists, which can create a “countryside feast” with high value.
Cuisine no longer serves merely as a factor to satisfy tourists’ basic dining needs; it has gradually become one of the main purposes of travel, strongly influencing destination choices and stimulating tourists’ spending capabilities. Therefore, to build a more appealing culinary brand for Binh Thuan, it is essential to incorporate distinctive dishes from the Cham people into the menu, alongside seafood and rural cuisine. This can be achieved through unique cooking styles and special techniques for preparing dishes, as well as establishing relationships with local restaurants and chefs to create a catalog of specialty dishes from the Cham people for tourists.