A Delicious Food in My Childhood

In my childhood, I always looked forward to the annual holiday because I didn’t go to school and my mother usually cooked many delicious foods. One of my favorite foods is "Com ga", which is a special local food in my hometown. When I was a child, I rarely ate "Com ga" because it was only made on special occasions. Therefore, I would be happy whenever my mother made "Com ga". "Com ga" is not only a delicious dish but also a personal memory of my family in my childhood. In my hometown, Phu Yen province, "Com ga" is usually present at year-end parties according to the lunar calendar when everyone in the family gathers to eat and welcome the new year. The plate of "Com ga" includes yellow rice topped with shredded chicken, pickled onions, and other Vietnamese herbs. "Com ga" is usually served with a soup made from chicken broth, and a dipping sauce which is a mixture of fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chili, and lemon. When the dish is ready, it smells of fragrant rice, garlic, spices from the dipping sauce and chicken meat. The most delicious way to eat "Com ga" is by adding a bit of dipping sauce to the rice and eating the rice, chicken, pickled onions, and herbs together. When you eat that way, you will feel full of flavors. The rice and chicken are so soft, sweet, and little salty with a sweet and sour fish sauce, crunchy pickled onions, and the strong aroma of the herbs. The soup is only made from chicken broth, a bit of pepper and chopped onion, but it is so tasty and refreshing. All those flavors make "Com ga" special and make you want to eat it many times later. When I grew up and went to Ho Chi Minh City to study and work, I tried "Com ga" in different styles. One of them is Hoi An, which is a popular style of "Com ga" in Vietnam. However, I still want to come home and eat "Com ga", which is made by my mother on a special occasion.