Crab noodle sauce is a very unique specialty dish and somewhat unfamiliar to many tourists when coming to Gia Lai. Crab noodle sauce has a very distinctive flavor - the rich flavor of crab sauce mixed with the spicy taste of chili, the aroma of lemongrass and the freshness of raw vegetables. The smell of crab sauce can make many people who are not used to it feel a bit strong, but this is the attractive point of the dish for those who love the rich flavor of fish sauce.

True to its name, stinky crab noodles consist of 2 main ingredients: vermicelli and crab. However, completely different from other vermicelli or crab dishes, this dish makes diners wary just by hearing the name because of the unpleasant smell, coming from the thick black broth.

Preparing this dish is also quite elaborate. After buying fresh field crabs, they are washed, the shell is removed, the body is pounded or pureed and then filtered to get the water. Fresh crab broth is fermented for about a day and night until it turns black and has a strong, slightly musty smell, then it is processed.

When fermenting crab broth, it must be enough and for the right amount of time to have the right aroma. If the crab broth has too strong or little smell, it will not be delicious when cooking vermicelli.

The fermented crab broth continues to simmer on the stove and then thinly sliced ​​fresh bamboo shoots are added. The longer it is boiled, the sweeter the bamboo shoots will be, making the broth more flavorful. People also add cooked duck eggs to the pot of water, and when customers order, they will scoop them out and pour them into the vermicelli bowl.

At first glance, the crab vermicelli dish alone makes diners "sweat" because of its unattractive appearance. The dish only has vermicelli, bamboo shoots, a few pieces of crispy fried pork skin with fried onions, peanuts, and a black, thick, musty-smelling broth.

However, once you get used to it, you will feel the delicious, characteristic aroma of this "famous" dish.

Stinky crab vermicelli is served with raw vegetables. Diners can order more shrimp crackers, sour spring rolls, sausages... and then pour the crab broth over the filling inside. To make the dish more fatty and delicious, you should enjoy it with boiled duck eggs cooked with the broth. The eggs are "dyed" black, with a strange fermented crab flavor.

Many people who try it for the first time are wary of stinky crab vermicelli, but if you get used to it, you will find it delicious. The pungent, strong smell of the broth along with the sour, spicy, and salty taste on the tip of the tongue is what diners feel when tasting this mountain town specialty.

Mix all the ingredients well, slowly enjoy it, then slurp the remaining crab broth, diners can feel the essence of the dish slowly melting in their mouths. Although this popular dish initially makes many people hesitant, it is a "famous" specialty of the highlands. Anyone who enjoys it once will forever remember the unique flavor that not every dish has.