Cultured Palate: Dishes from Vietnam

Cơm Tấm

Cơm tấm translates into English as “broken rice” and has been a traditional part of Vietnamese cuisine for centuries. Vietnamese rice farmers were unable to sell their rice if it was broken, so they kept these smaller grains for their own use.

Now, cơm tấm is a popular comfort food. The broken grains of rice are cooked, then mounded on a plate and topped with anything from grilled meat to an egg. In Saigon, you can find the specialty dish cơm tấm Sài Gòn, which is broken rice topped with a deeply flavorful barbecued pork cutlet.

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