Com am phu is a Hue specialty that has emerged from the dark.
Com am phu is a Hue specialty that has emerged from the dark.
It is probably not the most appetizing name for a dish. Com am phu literally means hell’s rice. It is common fare that originated in central Thua Thien-Hue Province’s Hue Town, but those who swear by it are prone to thank Ong Tao (Kitchen God, venerated during Tet) for the scrumptious dish.
According to Hue residents, com am phu was named as such because it used to be served outdoors at night in a desolate area. About 50 years ago when the crossroads of Ba Trieu and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets in Hue was a thinly inhabited area with rough ways and no street lights, from dusk until midnight , people gathered there to sell common dishes, especially rice which was eaten with grilled pork and pork paste threads and vegetables - hence the name “com am phu” came into being.
Com am phu consists of hot rice and many kinds of meat. The dishes that go with the rice are usually grilled pork and pork paste. In addition, duck-egg paste, shrimp meat fiber and herbs are also used to accompany the rice. Most of these kinds of foods are cut into small thin threads, which the seller mixes for customers. The customers also have the option of doing the mixing on their own.
A glance at com am phu could give one the notion that it is a very complicated dish to make. But it can be prepared with ease with a good instructor.
Hue residents usually eat com am phu with a sour-sweet sauce mixed with liquid fat from grilled pork. The sauce is a mix of fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lemon and chili.
Com am phu has now become a specialty that is served in other regions. Other dishes such as roasted pork, boiled chicken and boiled shrimp are also used to accompany the rice.
Source: TNO
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