How It's Made
("Vietnamese Cháo")
Explore the Ingridients
("Create removed background pngs of a bowl of rice, green onions, and chicken broth")
Exploring the Impact of Cháo
Click the ingridients to learn more
The Garnish
The Broth
The Rice
Done?
Go Back to Start
Video made by author
Rice: The Foundation
("Eating Rice")
Explore the Others
My family’s cháo is rich and delicious, in contrast to the grueling and tasteless flavor I have heard about from their past. To me, that broth was my family’s way of showing they supported and loved me; through my worst and best, cháo has always been a keystone in my diet and family. I always wondered why that generation-to-generation dish was described so differently from what I remembered, but I discovered that the problem was not within my family, but within the French colonization of Vietnam. Many of the dishes, like cháo, that the Vietnamese know as comfort foods were forcefully brought over from France when they were colonized in 1858; a large part of the reason that my family members told me cháo was never that ‘loving food’ I think about fondly now (Aditiany 2016). Although with time and increased development, the Vietnamese transformed this slop into a meaningful dish that has greatly impacted the inhabitants of Vietnam, migrants in the United States, and tourists. Slowly, I realized the comfort dish my family has passed down was an artifact of my country’s history.
Garnish: The Influence
(Ahaus 2024)
Explore the Others
My family rarely spoke of their journey from Vietnam to the United States. It was a border they overcame and never wanted to speak about due to grueling conditions and long days at sea. But the story of cháo enlightens me on subjects that were previously unknown to me. The empowering story of this seemingly mundane dish starts with the forced migration of millions, taking whatever cheap commodities, specifically lots of rice, with them to survive the harsh conditions of the Pacific Ocean (Bankston 2020). With the abundance of immigrants coming to the United States, cháo was a symbol of their home and a source of strength in an unfamiliar place. From this, when my family cooked cháo in their tiny American home, they were not just cooking. They were rebuilding a sense of home, especially when the twelve siblings came together to eat cháo from a shared pot.
Broth: The Legacy
(Dash 2022)
Explore the Others
The most important border that cháo crossed for me is not a map; it is the comfort and good health that is passed on from generation to generation. It is proof that untold memories come through love and care, rather than just stories. Now, the smell of chicken broth and rice porridge means more to me than a remedy for a common cold– it is layers of consistent care and love, and a faith in our culture. It is a reminder that even in the face of adversity or even when venturing into unknown territories, you do not have to leave the parts that make you, you, behind. Breaking borders and taking risks to reach your fullest potential or take care of the people around you does not mean you have to lose yourself or your values. My family has faced much adversity, and so have Vietnamese people, but not only have they set their foot down and taken advantage of all the opportunities available, but they have preserved their culture in the process, making their history one of the most inspiring.
Go Back to Beginning
Thank you!
Works Cited Page
Works Cited
Aditiany, Savitri. “THE INFLUENCE OF FRENCH COLONIALISM ON VIETNAM’S CULTURE.” I J a B E R, vol. 14, no. 2, 2016, pp. 761–71. serialsjournals.com/abstract/26576_761-771.pdf. Ahaus, Kristin. “How to Keep Green Onions Fresh.” The Produce Moms, 18 Nov. 2024, www.theproducemoms.com/how-to-keep-green-onions-fresh. Bankston, Carl L., and Min Zhou. “Involuntary Migration, Context of Reception, and Social Mobility: The Case of Vietnamese Refugee Resettlement in the United States.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 47, no. 21, Sept. 2020, pp. 4797–816. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2020.1724411. "Create removed background pngs of a bowl of rice, green onions, and chicken broth" prompt. Gemini, 24 Sept. version, Google, 24 Sept. 2025, https://gemini.google.com/app. Dash, Toni. “Easy Homemade Chicken Broth.” Boulder Locavore, 17 Feb. 2022, boulderlocavore.com/homemade-chicken-broth-recipe. Higham, C. F. W. “Prehistoric Rice Cultivation in Southeast Asia.” Scientific American, vol. 250, no. 4, 1984, pp. 138–49. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24969352. Accessed 11 Sept. 2025. “Vietnamese Cháo (Rice Porridge) | DelishGlobe.” DelishGlobe, delishglobe.com/recipe/vietnamese-chao-rice-porridge. “इस तरह से पका हुआ चावल खाने से नहीं बढ़ेगा वजन, राइस खाकर भी मिलेगा स्लिम लुक.” ["Eating rice cooked this way won’t make you gain weight, you can still get a slim look even while eating rice."] ZBharat, 26 Nov. 2024, zeenews.india.com/hindi/web-stories/zee-hindustan/how-to-eat-rice-without-gaining-weight-in-body-which-is-best-rice-for-weight-loss/2532323.
An Introduction to Cháo
Cháo, or Vietnamese porridge, is a principal comfort food for millions, with its many varied forms throughout continents— from congee in East Asia to risotto in Italy. Moreover, cháo is not just an edible product; it is also deeply ingrained in cultural traditions and ceremonies, while following the paths of global trading routes, colonization, and migration throughout Vietnam's history. Its movement across continents reveals stories surrounding border crossing, both literally and metaphorically. The evolution of cháo shows the impact of rice, as it not only shows the blending of borders but also acts as a symbol of comfort, healing, and new beginnings with its natural harmony when paired with various foods. Alongside its main ingredient’s first cultivation dating back around 9,000 years ago, the history and relevance of this complementary dish go far back into history, explaining why so many communities incorporate a version of it into their cuisine and cultural practices (Higham 1994). With cháo and its significant influence on Vietnamese history, its research and narrative are necessary in figuring out how it crossed so many borders and had such a large impact on all of the cultures it touched. Personally, when sick or sad, my mother and grandmother have always prepared this dish for me, showing its large effect on shared human experiences, as it is a dish meant to heal the body. Furthermore, by looking into the complex story of rice porridge as both a food and artifact, I will be able to reveal the story of my family’s survival and the crossed borders that make me who I am.
The History and Influence of Cháo
Skyler Kim
Created on September 16, 2025
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Transcript
How It's Made
("Vietnamese Cháo")
Explore the Ingridients
("Create removed background pngs of a bowl of rice, green onions, and chicken broth")
Exploring the Impact of Cháo
Click the ingridients to learn more
The Garnish
The Broth
The Rice
Done?
Go Back to Start
Video made by author
Rice: The Foundation
("Eating Rice")
Explore the Others
My family’s cháo is rich and delicious, in contrast to the grueling and tasteless flavor I have heard about from their past. To me, that broth was my family’s way of showing they supported and loved me; through my worst and best, cháo has always been a keystone in my diet and family. I always wondered why that generation-to-generation dish was described so differently from what I remembered, but I discovered that the problem was not within my family, but within the French colonization of Vietnam. Many of the dishes, like cháo, that the Vietnamese know as comfort foods were forcefully brought over from France when they were colonized in 1858; a large part of the reason that my family members told me cháo was never that ‘loving food’ I think about fondly now (Aditiany 2016). Although with time and increased development, the Vietnamese transformed this slop into a meaningful dish that has greatly impacted the inhabitants of Vietnam, migrants in the United States, and tourists. Slowly, I realized the comfort dish my family has passed down was an artifact of my country’s history.
Garnish: The Influence
(Ahaus 2024)
Explore the Others
My family rarely spoke of their journey from Vietnam to the United States. It was a border they overcame and never wanted to speak about due to grueling conditions and long days at sea. But the story of cháo enlightens me on subjects that were previously unknown to me. The empowering story of this seemingly mundane dish starts with the forced migration of millions, taking whatever cheap commodities, specifically lots of rice, with them to survive the harsh conditions of the Pacific Ocean (Bankston 2020). With the abundance of immigrants coming to the United States, cháo was a symbol of their home and a source of strength in an unfamiliar place. From this, when my family cooked cháo in their tiny American home, they were not just cooking. They were rebuilding a sense of home, especially when the twelve siblings came together to eat cháo from a shared pot.
Broth: The Legacy
(Dash 2022)
Explore the Others
The most important border that cháo crossed for me is not a map; it is the comfort and good health that is passed on from generation to generation. It is proof that untold memories come through love and care, rather than just stories. Now, the smell of chicken broth and rice porridge means more to me than a remedy for a common cold– it is layers of consistent care and love, and a faith in our culture. It is a reminder that even in the face of adversity or even when venturing into unknown territories, you do not have to leave the parts that make you, you, behind. Breaking borders and taking risks to reach your fullest potential or take care of the people around you does not mean you have to lose yourself or your values. My family has faced much adversity, and so have Vietnamese people, but not only have they set their foot down and taken advantage of all the opportunities available, but they have preserved their culture in the process, making their history one of the most inspiring.
Go Back to Beginning
Thank you!
Works Cited Page
Works Cited
Aditiany, Savitri. “THE INFLUENCE OF FRENCH COLONIALISM ON VIETNAM’S CULTURE.” I J a B E R, vol. 14, no. 2, 2016, pp. 761–71. serialsjournals.com/abstract/26576_761-771.pdf. Ahaus, Kristin. “How to Keep Green Onions Fresh.” The Produce Moms, 18 Nov. 2024, www.theproducemoms.com/how-to-keep-green-onions-fresh. Bankston, Carl L., and Min Zhou. “Involuntary Migration, Context of Reception, and Social Mobility: The Case of Vietnamese Refugee Resettlement in the United States.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 47, no. 21, Sept. 2020, pp. 4797–816. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183x.2020.1724411. "Create removed background pngs of a bowl of rice, green onions, and chicken broth" prompt. Gemini, 24 Sept. version, Google, 24 Sept. 2025, https://gemini.google.com/app. Dash, Toni. “Easy Homemade Chicken Broth.” Boulder Locavore, 17 Feb. 2022, boulderlocavore.com/homemade-chicken-broth-recipe. Higham, C. F. W. “Prehistoric Rice Cultivation in Southeast Asia.” Scientific American, vol. 250, no. 4, 1984, pp. 138–49. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24969352. Accessed 11 Sept. 2025. “Vietnamese Cháo (Rice Porridge) | DelishGlobe.” DelishGlobe, delishglobe.com/recipe/vietnamese-chao-rice-porridge. “इस तरह से पका हुआ चावल खाने से नहीं बढ़ेगा वजन, राइस खाकर भी मिलेगा स्लिम लुक.” ["Eating rice cooked this way won’t make you gain weight, you can still get a slim look even while eating rice."] ZBharat, 26 Nov. 2024, zeenews.india.com/hindi/web-stories/zee-hindustan/how-to-eat-rice-without-gaining-weight-in-body-which-is-best-rice-for-weight-loss/2532323.
An Introduction to Cháo
Cháo, or Vietnamese porridge, is a principal comfort food for millions, with its many varied forms throughout continents— from congee in East Asia to risotto in Italy. Moreover, cháo is not just an edible product; it is also deeply ingrained in cultural traditions and ceremonies, while following the paths of global trading routes, colonization, and migration throughout Vietnam's history. Its movement across continents reveals stories surrounding border crossing, both literally and metaphorically. The evolution of cháo shows the impact of rice, as it not only shows the blending of borders but also acts as a symbol of comfort, healing, and new beginnings with its natural harmony when paired with various foods. Alongside its main ingredient’s first cultivation dating back around 9,000 years ago, the history and relevance of this complementary dish go far back into history, explaining why so many communities incorporate a version of it into their cuisine and cultural practices (Higham 1994). With cháo and its significant influence on Vietnamese history, its research and narrative are necessary in figuring out how it crossed so many borders and had such a large impact on all of the cultures it touched. Personally, when sick or sad, my mother and grandmother have always prepared this dish for me, showing its large effect on shared human experiences, as it is a dish meant to heal the body. Furthermore, by looking into the complex story of rice porridge as both a food and artifact, I will be able to reveal the story of my family’s survival and the crossed borders that make me who I am.