Cơm tấm is the Vietnamese dish traditionally made with broken rice and especially associated with Ho Chi Minh City.
The name refers to tấm, the small fragments of rice grains produced when rice is milled. These fragments were historically less valuable than intact grains, but they became the foundation of a distinctive southern Vietnamese meal. The rice is commonly served with grilled pork, especially a marinated pork chop or shredded pork skin.
A plate of cơm tấm may also include a fried egg, pickled vegetables, scallion oil and nước chấm. The combination of smoky meat, soft rice and sweet-salty sauce is characteristic of the dish’s popular street-food form.
Cơm tấm is strongly associated with southern Vietnam and Saigon, now officially Ho Chi Minh City. It is not simply any rice dish containing meat: the broken-rice grain is the defining element. Regional and restaurant versions add different proteins and accompaniments, but the rice remains central.