Cari cha (cha curry) is a Cham dish, usually served with com ni (rice cooked with coconut juice and spices).

Cha curry is similar to an Indian curry but it has a thicker sauce. Its main ingredients are beef, goat meat or mutton but sometimes duck or chicken is used as a substitute.

The different types of meats create a unique flavor but goat meat is regarded as the most delicious.

Goat meat, usually plentiful in Cham villages, can smell bad if processed the wrong way. To remove this strong smell, people usually either make goats sweat by beating them and making them run around or they press acupuncture points on their body before slaughtering them.

Cha curry is considered delicious if it is very hot. This fire is created by combining fresh capsicums, chili powder and other spices. The fatty taste of coconut juice also makes the dish attractive.

The Cham-style curry is usually accompanied with rice vermicelli or bread, even though the best accompaniment is com ni.

Visitors to Cham villages in the Mekong Delta’s An Giang and Soc Trang provinces and the central region’s Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces should try Cha curry for themselves. It is great to sit on the floor of an airy stilt house to enjoy this Cham specialty.