The cuisine of ethnic minority communities in the mountainous areas of Da Nang within an expanded urban space: From indigenous knowledge to contemporary values

Abstract

In recent years, Da Nang has often been recognised as a dynamic coastal city and a major centre for tourism, services, and events in Central Vietnam. While this image accurately reflects part of the city’s development, it has inadvertently overshadowed another cultural space that receives far less attention: the mountainous areas and ethnic minority communities living in the western and northwestern parts of the city, associated with the Truong Son mountain range. After July 2025, in the context of administrative boundary expansion and the restructuring of urban space, the mountainous areas of Da Nang have been more deeply integrated into the overall development structure of a modern city. In this process, the culinary culture of ethnic minority communities has emerged as a domain that both embodies indigenous knowledge and is significantly influenced by the market economy, tourism, and cultural exchange. By employing methods of synthesis, analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork, this article approaches the cuisine of ethnic minorities in the mountainous areas of Da Nang as a form of indigenous knowledge and a type of living heritage, examining it in relation to the process of urbanisation and the expansion of Da Nang’s urban space. On that basis, the study points out the values, transformations, and challenges facing ethnic cuisines, while also proposing several orientations for their preservation and promotion in the contemporary urban context.