Dak Lak is a land of great fervor, where coffee hills and pepper springs are extended and vast. Every harvest, people are busy going to the fields early in the morning.
At noon, instead of returning home, they stay in the middle of the forest to take advantage of time and rest in nature. From there, meals in the fields were born - wild and full of humanity.
When the sun is shining, people temporarily stop working, choose flat, shady land to prepare for lunch. No one told anyone, each person had a different story. Some picked up firewood for the kitchen, some washed vegetables, made fish, others picked wild goose, young beans, watermelon, green pepper... The sound of laughter mixed with the sound of small firecrackers, creating a familiar sound in the middle of the field.
In a short time, the smoke from the stove spread, mixed with the scent of the throne leaves and the fragrant scent of fish meat. Amidst the bright sunshine, that thin stream of smoke becomes a brand-name signal signaling a resting time - the flavor of reunion.
Ms. H'Vinh Nie, in Cu M'gar commune, said that her family is more than ten kilometers away from the fields, so she often brings rice with her.
"If you go home to eat and then come back, it will take a whole session. In the morning of work, I stopped by the market to buy some pork belly, some dried fish, and some spices. When I went to the fields to pick more bitter melon, watermelon, and young bean, I had a delicious meal" - in the eyes of the simple joy that Ms. H'Vinh Nie said.
Mr. Y Bon Bya, in Ea Ktur commune, said that although the rice fields are simple, they are strangely delicious. "Eating in the sky and earth, hearing the wind and the smell of the kitchen smoke, naturally feeling healthy. There were days when I only had a bowl of bitter melon with green chili salt, but everyone was done with the rice, said Mr. Y Bon Bya.
After nearly an hour of preparation, the rice tray was moved to the middle of the field with stir-fried vegetables, hot sour soup, green chili grated fireworks, a cup of spicy fish sauce...
And just like that, everyone gathered together, eating and telling the story of the crop, mixed with the resounding laughter in the vastness of the seas.
"In the city, people go to restaurants. In the fields, we have firewood, wild vegetables... just need to go into the kitchen to have a delicious meal, Mr. Y Bon Bya shared more.
For him, the farm meal is a part of his life, an unforgettable memory. When the meal ended, everyone spread a tarpaulin under the canopy, taking a little sleep.
The sleep of noon in the fields, although short, is strangely peaceful, as if the earth and sky are also falling into a dream in the vastness of a thousand.
For tourists on the backpacking route, chance to see the image of Dak Lak people gathering by the fire in the middle of the fields is an unforgettable experience. Not only did they get to see the fertile coffee hills, they also had the opportunity to immerse themselves in the rhythm of working life, sometimes enjoying a rustic meal in the midst of the vast nature.
