A bum approaches a well-dressed gentleman on the street. “Hey, Buddy, can you spare two dollars?”

Once being a basic food of farmers and poor families in Vietnam, com tam or broken rice is now a favourite dish of most Vietnamese. It is said that the best broken rice can be found in Saigon. When you come to Saigon, you should try this dish at least one time and you will not regret it.

Com tam literally means broken rice. Broken rice originally consisted of grains which were broken during the harvesting and cleaning of rice. In the past, as most people preferred to eat the long, whole grain rice, broken rice grains were difficult to sell and usually eaten by the Vietnamese working class because of the cheap price. Nowadays, often favored over long grain rice for its unique flavour and texture, broken rice is one of the best-loved fares in Vietnam.

Local broken rice eateries can practically be found on every street in Saigon. A broken rice dish is served with many beautiful colours from grilled pork chop with multi-flavour to steamed egg, shredded pork skin, pickles, vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers ... and especially sweet fish sauce that is the spirit of the dish.

1. Today, com tamis only eaten by poor Vietnamese.

2. Com tamis made from broken rice grains.

3. In the past, most people didn’t eat broken rice grains because they were cheap.

4. It is difficult to find a place to eat com tam in Saigon.

5. The most important part of com tamis sweet fish sauce.

6. Com tamis now a favourite dish of Vietnamese people, especially Saigonese.

Egg coffee, called Cà Phê Trứng in Vietnamese, was first invented by Nguyen Giang in 1946. There was a shortage of milk in Hanoi due to the French War. Mr. Nguyen reatively began adding whisked eggs to his coffee instead.

The original version was a bit, well, eggy. But over time the recipe was modified with the addition of sugar, condensed milk, and even Laughing Cow cheese. No one knows the recipe for sure since it’s a secret recipe. These days Egg Coffee is a staple of Hanoi coffee culture and a must-try while in Hanoi!

What does it taste like? Well it’s incredibly thick and rich and creamy. Closer to a dessert than a beverage. Liquid tiramisu is the most accurate description we’ve heard.

Nguyen Giang still has a café where you can try his famous recipe, or you can grab a cup of Egg Coffee at dozens of coffee shops all over Hanoi.

1. Who invented egg coffee?

2. Why did Nguyen Giang add whisked eggs to his coffee?

3. What is the recipe to make egg coffee nowadays?

4. What does egg coffee taste like?

5. Where can we buy this type of coffee?