Broken Rice / Middlins

If you’re new to broken rice (or rice middlins, in the southern US), you are in for a treat.

Originating as a discarded milling byproduct or "peasant food" for farmers in Vietnam's Mekong Delta and enslaved West Africans, it was elevated through sheer resourcefulness into beloved staples like Vietnamese cơm tấm and Gullah Geechee red rice.

The fractured grains cook into pillowy clouds, softer and more tender than whole-grain rice, primed to absorb savory oils, the flavor of grilled meats, and rich sauces.

Three Ladies is my preferred brand for Vietnamese applications; Marsh Hen Mill for red rice and other recipes from the American South.