Com hen Cơm hến
Rice with tiny Perfume River clams, shrimp paste, herbs, roasted peanuts, and pork rind. Mix the spicy plate on Hen Island.
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Vietnam Tourism traces cơm hến to a peasant kitchen: leftover rice and baby clams from the Perfume River.
Why it matters
It sits opposite the court dishes. It is the plate of the river island, not a banquet course.
Texture
The plate is rice with baby clams, bean sprouts, and strips of pork rind.
Taste
The plate carries shrimp paste, roasted peanuts, herbs, bean sprouts, and pork rind. Mix the rice with the clams, the herbs, and the shrimp paste.
How to enjoy it
Cross Ưng Bình bridge to Hen Island. The walk is under half an hour. Vietnam Tourism says the island disappears when the city floods, so skip it in a flood week.
Where to try it
Hen Island, Cồn Hến. Chi Lăng and Bạch Đằng are the afternoon streets on the far side.