The ancient capital of Vietnam - Hue city is famous for the poetic Perfume River, the elegant music at night, and a sophisticated and elaborate royal cuisine. But do you know, behind the royal court splendor, there is a rustic Hue encapsulated in the dish of hundreds of years of history - purgatory rice (Cơm âm phủ).

People often tell each other to travel to Hue city , they must try Hue tea, bánh bột lọc, bún bò, mussel rice, spring rolls, sour shrimp ... but have not heard that there is a restaurant in Hue that selling Cơm âm phủ (purgatory rice)  - a mixed rice dish with a curious name.

Purgatory rice is a unique specialty of the ancient capital. Photo: chiecthiavang

 

Why is Purgatory rice called ... Purgatory?

The excuse must go back to a century ago. 

In the early twentieth century, opposite Hue Stadium, there was a bamboo-walled rice shop, specialized in selling at night, serving trailers, guests, gamblers, merchants, late goers. ... all kinds of people. Hungry night, they find a cheap food, sure.

 

"Want to eat lyrical dishes / There is a ghostly restaurant behind" Photo: instagram

When there was no electric light, the street was dark at night, the shop was lit by climbing oil lamps that sprung up in the middle of the field. The space of the prison is like a place of underworld, diners call that place ten hundred and ten hundred called the place of Underworld. The restaurant's mixed rice dish is also called according to the purgatory rice dish. 

 

Purgatory rice has hundreds of years of history. Photo: tftravel

There are also people who say that purgatory rice is the rice dish of the people who peddled people to eat at night. Each load hangs a piggy oil lamp in the dark alleyways. 

 

The ancient Hue people often ate late at night with purgatory rice Photo: instagram Haunted 

Purgatory rice is also the name of the type of "rice vet", combining the leftovers of the rice shop, selling at night to the late-night workers in Hue. There are many different explanations, but they all gather in one point: Underworld rice used to be a late-night dish, specializing in serving the popular class.

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The taste of an unique dish

Strange name, but the ingredients of the lunar rice are nothing mysterious, all the familiar dishes in Hue cuisine such as ramen, silk rolls, spring rolls, shrimp lice, omelets, herbs, pickles ... white rice, spicy garlic and chili fish sauce, salty sweet, sweet and mildly sour. 

 

The ingredients in the yin-covered rice dish are skillfully prepared and presented. Photo: metrip Common

 

The harmonious combination of ram meat, omelet, spring rolls, herbs, fish sauce, ... creates an unforgettable taste of rice in the Underworld. Photo: checkindanang

Ingredients are seasoned, tasted just right, sliced. Delicious rice in the bowl, uncompressed, upside down on a plate, vegetables of all colors and flavors are spread around to taste delicious. 

Diners mix well with rice, can not forget to sprinkle a little fish sauce. Fish sauce is well mixed, must be spicy, the sweetness is a little more than the sour taste because the side dishes often have a sour taste already.

 

Purgatory rice is a popular dish, but it has a "royal" flavor. Photo: vietnamembassy-indonesia

Nowadays, sometimes purgatory rice is called "mixed rice ... royal", a little lost with its original spirit.

Consistent with this royal name, there is another story. Legend has it that when he went to act, hungry late at night, the king stopped at people's houses to beg. The old lady in the house that has food in the house will be gathered up a plate of rice. The old woman's house was poor, lit a dark oil lamp like in hell. 

 

Visitors to Hue can hardly forget the unique flavor of the purgatory rice. Photo: chudu24 The

 

Steamed rice - a delicious dish that is both rustic and elegant. Photo: metrip

In fact, this story clearly illustrates characteristics Hue culinary as a circle: folk cuisine is upgraded to royal cuisine, then royal cuisine re-influences, changes cuisine folk.

 

Popular delicacies enter the menu of luxury restaurants. Photo: instagram Haunted

Purgatory rice does not have to have any ingredients, it is a style of mixed rice. There, necessarily enough white rice, green vegetables, sliced ​​protein, filled with fish sauce, on the plate, the rest depends on the chef. The rustic ingredients are mulberry rice, but luxurious, the royal family rice.

 

Each piece of purgatory rice is an unforgettable taste and harmony Photo: vietnamdailymulberry

Hue purgatory rice is delicious in harmonious sophistication, both rich, crispy, chewy, crunchy, and not boring. Anyone who falls in love with mussel rice should not ignore this dish.