Unlike Saigon broken rice, which is famous for grilled ribs, Tri Ton broken rice has a strong imprint of the Mekong Delta. On the rice plate is not a familiar large rib but a combination of shredded pork, pork skin, shredded fried duck eggs, roasted field shrimp, pickled water spinach and water spinach with fish sauce mixed according to the characteristic sweet and sour taste.
According to Mr. Khang Quach - manager of talent Vuong Anh Tu - one of the people who brought Tri Ton broken rice to Ho Chi Minh City, the most difficult thing is not competing with other broken rice restaurants but introducing a flavor that is still quite unfamiliar to city diners.
I don't want to make a version of broken rice like the market. What I want is to maintain the spirit of my hometown dish so that everyone understands that the Mekong Delta also has a very unique type of broken rice," he said.
This difference is creating attraction for the dish. Many diners come from curiosity, but the multi-layered flavor of rustic ingredients is the factor that makes them return.
Not only is it of interest to food lovers, An Giang flavored broken rice also appears more and more on social networks through experiences videos of artists and content creators.
According to the reporter's investigation, many artists such as model Ngoc Trinh, singer Lam Bao Ngoc, Le Nhan, Minh Xu are fascinated by this local dish and spread it, reaching a large number of young audiences.
The interest of artists partly shows the increasing attraction of dishes imbued with regional identity. In the context that consumers not only look for delicious dishes but also want to explore the cultural values behind cuisine, local specialties are having more opportunities to conquer large markets.
Tourism expert Hoang Thu shared with reporters that cuisine is increasingly becoming a "cultural ambassador" of many localities. A dish that can help tourists better visualize the life, customs and history of the land where it was born. And with Tri Ton broken rice, she believes that this dish retains tourists thanks to its rusticness, rusticity but is delicious and imbued with the breath of the Mekong Delta.
With An Giang, besides famous destinations such as Nui Cam, Ta Pa lake, Tra Su melaleuca forest or Bay Nui region, specialty dishes are also factors creating a unique identity for local tourism. Tri Ton broken rice is one of the typical examples when bringing the story of the lives of people in the Mekong Delta through familiar ingredients and rustic processing methods.
For Mr. Khang Quach personally, his biggest wish is not to turn Tri Ton broken rice into a temporary trend, but to help more people learn about An Giang culinary culture.
When enjoying the dish, if diners are curious about Tri Ton, about Bay Nui or want to come to An Giang once to explore this land, it is already very precious," he shared.
From a rustic dish of the Mekong Delta, Tri Ton broken rice is showing the vitality of local cuisine in the bustling market of Ho Chi Minh City.
Not just simply a meal, this rice dish has also become a bridge to bring the image of An Giang culture and tourism closer to the public.
