Cơm tấm is a plate of broken rice (jasmine rice grains that fractured during milling) topped with grilled pork chop (sườn nướng), steamed egg meatloaf (chả trứng hấp), shredded pork skin (bì), and a soft-set fried egg, with a small bowl of fish sauce dressing.
The broken rice texture
Broken rice grains are shorter and thinner than whole grains; they cook faster and absorb less water. The resulting texture is slightly more al dente and individual-grained than whole rice. The fractured surface also absorbs sauces more readily.
The full plate components
- Sườn (grilled lemongrass pork chop) — the centrepiece
- Chả trứng (pork and egg steamed loaf) — protein anchor
- Bì (shredded pork skin with roasted rice powder) — textural element
- Mỡ hành (scallion oil drizzle) — aromatic finish
- Cà chua (tomato and cucumber garnish)
- Nước mắm pha (fish sauce dressing) in a small side bowl