Vietnamese Fragrant Rice
What it is
A family of aromatic long-grain rices grown in Vietnam, ranging from jasmine-type export rice to prized heirlooms with tender, fragrant grains. The standout is modern cultivar ST25, a long, slender, lightly aromatic grain.
How it's made
Grown principally in the Mekong Delta. ST25, bred by a team led by agronomist Hồ Quang Cua, was named "World's Best Rice" in 2019, putting Vietnamese aromatic rice on the global specialty map. Heirloom Nàng Thơm Chợ Đào is a protected fragrant landrace from Long An.
Flavor profile
Soft, faintly sweet, with a gentle floral-pandan aroma milder than Thai jasmine but with a pleasant resilience to the grain. ST25 is noted for staying tender even when cooled.
Culinary uses
The everyday rice of the Vietnamese table (cơm), served plain alongside kho (caramel braises), grilled meats, and canh soups, and used for broken-rice cơm tấm. Water ratio ~1:1.25–1.5. The deliberately fractured broken rice (tấm) is a category of its own — milling fragments once considered second-rate, now beloved for their soft, quick-cooking texture in Saigon street food.
Regional variations
Mekong Delta export jasmine vs. terroir heirlooms like Nàng Thơm Chợ Đào; ST24 and ST25 as the modern aromatic flagships; northern tám xoan fragrant rice from the Red River Delta.
Cultural & historical context
Rice is foundational to Vietnamese cosmology and cuisine; the legend of bánh chưng (the square sticky-rice cake) ties rice to filial piety and the nation's origins. ST25's international win was a point of national pride and a marker of Vietnam's shift from bulk-commodity exporter to specialty producer.
Reference notes
Tags: `long-grain`, `aromatic`, `Vietnamese`, `heirloom`, `broken-rice`. Related ingredients: fish sauce (nước mắm), caramel sauce, lemongrass, scallion oil. Related cuisines: Vietnamese. Suggested links: Jasmine, Pandan-Scented Rice, Vietnamese Glutinous Rice, Fish Sauce. Cannot substitute: for cơm tấm, whole-grain rice misses the entire point — the broken grain is the dish.