Vietnamese broken rice (or steam-broken rice) is a highly recommended Vietnamese food. Called “com tam” in Vietnamese, as its name suggests, it is made from broken rice.
In the late 19th century, steamed broken rice was a popular dish among poor farmers in the Mekong Delta. During hard seasons, the locals did not have enough good rice to eat. They had to use broken rice to cook, which is fragments of rice grains fractured during the handling process. The locals had to steam such broken rice to overcome hunger.
Since Vietnam started the urbanization process in the first half of the 20th century, this dish became popular in the Southern region, including Ho Chi Minh City. It was then gradually modified to suit the tastes of foreign visitors from France, America, China, India, etc. Grilled pork and Vietnamese steamed omelet were added. The portion would be put on a plate and diners would use a fork to eat instead of chopsticks.
In the past, the grains were inevitably broken during milling; but now, people have to deliberately break the rice. This dish is now a culinary highlight in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Southern Vietnam in general.
| Saigonbiketours
