Com hen from a dish of the poor in Hue to a royal specialty

Mussel rice was originally a rustic dish before becoming a royal item, now the rice dish is a famous specialty of Hue .

If you have ever been to Hue, there are probably few tourists who have not heard of mussel rice - a specialty that captivates diners with its simple yet extremely rich flavor.

In the past, Com Hen was a rustic dish for the poor, before becoming a specialty for the Nguyen Dynasty kings. Today, Com Hen has become a highlight on the culinary map of the ancient capital.

According to Hue people, mussel rice originated more than 200 years ago. One day, the poor family of a woman named Huynh could not catch any shrimp or fish, so they had to eat cold rice with mussels. Thanks to that family's "eat to get through the meal", the good news spread far and wide, and mussel rice became a favorite dish of Hue people.

During the reign of King Thanh Thai, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thep used mussels harvested from Con Hen to make a rustic rice dish to present to the king. After enjoying it, the king was impressed by the flavor of this dish. From then on, Con Hen mussel rice became a royal product on every occasion of festivals and Tet.

In addition to the main ingredients of mussel water and mussel meat, delicious mussel rice cannot lack spices and accompanying raw vegetables.

Making mussel rice is not difficult at all. Cold rice is mixed with mussels sauteed in oil with spices and herbs such as star fruit or sour mango, mint, thinly sliced ​​banana stem, fish sauce, pepper, pork rinds, fried dried pork skin, whole roasted peanuts, chili powder... The final step is to pour some mussel broth on top.

However, cooking a bowl of authentic Hue mussel rice requires a lot of effort. The best mussels must be caught in Con Hen. The place where the Huong River flows through, has little silt and alum, and a deep layer of mud at the bottom. This is the perfect environment for mussels to grow, so the mussels in Con Hen here are sweeter than those in other places.

From dawn, people go to Hen Islet to dig for mussels. Then they bring them home to wash off the mud, soak them in rice water, and then clean them. Finally, they boil the mussels to get the water, separate the meat, also known as the mussel face, and process it into a famous rice dish.

Young tourists are fascinated by the mussel rice and mussel noodles of Hue people.

As simple as that, mussel rice has made many diners remember it forever after eating it once. The sweetness of mussel meat, mixed with the astringent, sour, numbing, and pungent taste of the accompanying herbs and spices, is extremely refreshing, leaving an unforgettable impression.

Anh Hung, a tourist from Hanoi, advised: "Rice with mussels is even more delicious when eaten with really spicy chili. There will be a bowl of broth with the rice, you should eat each part separately to fully enjoy the flavor of this dish. If you eat vermicelli with mussels, you should not pour it together."

Ms. Hoa, a tourist from Hanoi who had the opportunity to visit Hue and enjoy mussel rice, shared: "Every time I come to Hue, I have to eat a plate of mussel rice or more to satisfy my cravings."

“Bun hen and mi hen are variations of Hue’s rice with mussels, but the flavor cannot be compared. There is also a stir-fried mussel dish that is very delicious. Break a piece of rice paper, scoop up some stir-fried mussels and eat with it, it feels so good,” she added.

Some famous mussel rice restaurants in Hue that diners can refer to are Mrs. Cam's mussel rice, Dap Da mussel rice, Ty Hon on Han Mac Tu street, Thu Hien mussel rice... Or Chi Nho's restaurant in the alley on Pham Hong Thai street, at the intersection with Truong Dinh. A portion costs about 10,000 - 20,000 VND.

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