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Sticky rice with bamboo shoots is made from fragrant glutinous rice and fresh bamboo shoots harvested from the forest. Therefore, each bowl of sticky rice with bamboo shoots looks quite simple, consisting only of steamed sticky rice and stir-fried bamboo shoots on top. People in Kon Tum like spicy food, so each bowl also includes a red chili pepper – not elaborate, but visually appealing and delicious. According to many locals in Kon Tum, there are only two sticky rice stalls in the entire city: one run by a mother from Hue, which has been operating for over 30 years, and the other recently opened by her daughter. Although not prepared by the same person, the sticky rice with bamboo shoots at both stalls is equally delicious, leaving everyone delighted and satisfied.
Making sticky rice with bamboo shoots is quite simple and not very complicated. Fresh bamboo shoots, after being harvested from the forest, are peeled, washed, and sliced into bite-sized pieces. After this initial preparation to remove the raw smell, the bamboo shoots are stir-fried with spices to enhance the flavor. High-quality glutinous rice is soaked in diluted salt water with added turmeric powder for about 8 hours to give it color, then steamed until cooked.
Early in the morning, vendors place a large tray of hot sticky rice next to a pot of stir-fried bamboo shoots and several bundles of fresh banana leaves for customers who want to take it away. Customers only need to spend 7,000 dong, or around 10,000 dong for a cheap and delicious breakfast. However, that alone isn't enough to make sticky rice with bamboo shoots in Kon Tum appealing. Besides stir-fried bamboo shoots, vendors skillfully add braised fish and bamboo shoot porridge for more variety. Thus, the sticky rice stalls offer a wide range of choices for customers. Vegetarians can choose sticky rice with bamboo shoots, those who prefer a mixed meal can order braised fish with bamboo shoots, and children can enjoy bamboo shoot porridge with their parents for breakfast.
On full moon days or vegetarian days, braised fish is replaced with tofu. Customers can order sticky rice with bamboo shoots and tofu or tofu porridge for a change of taste, which is equally delicious and appealing. If the crunchy texture of the bamboo shoots combined with the chewy sticky rice and the rich flavor of the braised fish is already enough to captivate diners, then replacing the fish with tofu makes the flavor even more unique. That's why, by around 7 am every day, the sticky rice is sold out, leaving only the bamboo shoot porridge. And this delicious dish is only sold for about another hour. After that, anyone who wants to try it again has to wait until the next day.
With its unique charm and vibrant yellow hues from the bamboo shoots, placed on a bowl of turmeric-colored sticky rice, bamboo shoot sticky rice attracts passersby with its special aroma, causing many to stop just to buy a packet before heading to work. Unintentionally, this delicious dish has become something that entices people to linger in the mountainous region of the Central Highlands.
