Cơm Lam

Cơm Lam is a traditional Vietnamese dish consisting of glutinous rice cooked inside a hollowed-out section of fresh bamboo. The bamboo acts as a cooking vessel, steaming the rice over an open fire and infusing it with a distinct, woody aroma.

Cơm lam originated among the ethnic minority communities in the mountainous and highland regions of northern Vietnam. The method of cooking rice in bamboo was developed as a highly practical way for travelers and hunters to prepare and transport food without heavy clay pots.

To eat Cơm Lam, you peel away the charred outer layers of the bamboo tube, revealing the steamed rice inside. The tube is split open, and the sticky rice is typically eaten directly from the bamboo, often accompanied by grilled meats, roasted sesame salt, or crushed peanuts.

The dish strictly requires glutinous rice, which is soaked in water for several hours before being packed into the bamboo. This specific variety of sticky rice expands and binds together during the steaming process, allowing the cylinder of rice to be easily pulled out of the bamboo.