Culinary Identities of the Brau and the Ro-mam - Two Ethnic Minorities with very Small Populations

Abstract

Drawing on the approach of ethnic identity as not only distinctiveness but also a sense of “belonging,” along with approaches from regional culture and historical-ethnographic studies, this article elucidates the culinary identities of the Brau and the Ro-mam, two ethnic minority groups with very small populations. These identities are expressed through ethnic taste preferences, including dishes prepared by cooking in bamboo tubes, grilling, raw-eating, fermenting, and a preference for upland sticky rice and leaf-fermented rice wine. They are also reflected in the relationship between cuisine and spirituality, such as sacrificial offerings for bountiful harvests, good fortune, gratitude, and totemic food taboos. These elements of culinary identity share similarities with many ethnic groups in the Truong Son (Annamite Range) - Central Highlands region. This study further supports the argument that Vietnam’s culinary identity is closely tied to ethnic and regional cuisines.