Khao Kan Chin: Rice, Pork and Blood, Steamed Until Cooked Through
Keep the rice grains distinct, wrap the parcels snugly, and heat the center of the thickest parcel until it meets the temperatures in this article. If you cannot get pork blood sold as food, do not make this dish. This recipe has not been kitchen-tested by Sekai Gohan.
In Chiang Rai, according to the local information site Chiangrai108, khao kan chin is sometimes sold alongside khanom jeen nam ngiao. It comes wrapped in leaf. Inside is cooked rice mixed with minced pork and pork blood that has been handled with lemongrass, then steamed in the parcel.
"Rice with pork blood" can sound daunting, but the work is orderly. You strain the blood, season the rice and pork, add the blood a little at a time so the grains stay separate, then wrap and steam. Fish sauce, a little sugar and salt carry the seasoning, and fried garlic, chili and fresh vegetables come to the table alongside. Find more dishes from the country on our Thailand page.
Before You Start: Blood, Heat and the Garlic-Oil Question
The amounts and basic method here come from one recipe, published in the Ros Chaad Thai archive of the Chef Cares Foundation. We have not blended it with other versions. It says to steam over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until cooked, but it gives no parcel size, parcel count or number of servings, so we don't state them either.
The heating target is our own safety addition, not part of that recipe. Thailand's Department of Disease Control (DDC) says pork and pork blood must be thoroughly heated above 70°C for at least 10 minutes. Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) gives a general household guideline of 75°C at the center for 1 minute.
We don't claim these two guidelines are equivalent, and neither is a tested schedule for this parcel. As a conservative working rule, this article asks you to meet both at the center of the thickest parcel: at least 71°C held for at least 10 minutes, and also at least 75°C for at least 1 minute. If the parcel hasn't met both, keep steaming. About 30 minutes is only a guide, not proof of safety, and the photographs below do not prove any temperature or time.
- Raw pork and pork blood carry risks including Streptococcus suis (the illness known in Thai as หูดับ), so thorough cooking is essential.
- Never taste raw pork, raw blood or the uncooked mixture. Season by measure only.
- Lemongrass and lime do not make blood or pork safe.
- Cover any cuts, handle raw blood and pork with gloves or utensils, and wash your hands after contact.
- Keep separate utensils, boards and chopsticks for raw and cooked food.
- If you are pregnant, or are cooking for infants, older adults or anyone with a weakened immune system, be especially sure of the cooking, or choose not to eat this dish.
Sourcing the blood. Ryukyu Shimpo reported in 2017 that Japanese national rules require blood collected for food to be chilled to 4°C or below immediately, with knives washed for each animal, and that meat centers in Okinawa shipped pork blood as food. A second report that year described one center resuming shipments after adding dedicated storage and refrigeration. These reports are from 2017 and do not name retailers. We have not confirmed availability on mainland Japan or elsewhere.
The fried garlic and oil. The recipe lists 100g of fried garlic and 100g of vegetable oil, then mixes "3–4 tbsp" into the rice. It doesn't make clear whether that means the two combined or how they divide, and it doesn't fully explain where the rest goes. We keep that wording rather than invent a split. Do not mix in the full 100g of each. In this article, the remainder goes to the table as a finishing garnish.
Ingredients
Equipment
- Steamer
- Food thermometer with a probe that can reach the center of a parcel
- Fine sieve
- Separate bowls for the blood and the rice mixture
- Something to pound the lemongrass
- Gloves
- Separate utensils, boards and chopsticks for raw and cooked food
- Short wooden picks
Choosing and Substituting
Pork blood. Use only blood sold as food from a trusted supplier. In Japan, that mainly means butchers and markets in Okinawa, and you may not find it everywhere. Refrigerate it as soon as you buy it, keeping to the same 4°C-or-below principle, and use it right away.
If you can't get it, the right choice is not to make this dish. Do not replace it with blood from another animal, blood of unknown origin, or blood collected at home or through acquaintances. Drained meat or cooked blood curd is not a stand-in either.
Rice. Jasmine or another long-grain rice is a sensible place to start. Short-grain Japanese rice will change the texture.
Seasonings. Pork seasoning powder varies in salt from product to product. Fish sauce shouldn't be swapped for soy sauce. If you have dietary restrictions, read the labels on both.
Banana leaves. Choose leaves sold for food or cooking.
Avoiding pork. Pork and pork blood are the heart of this dish. We don't offer a version without them, as it would be a different dish.
Troubleshooting
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rice clumps as you add the blood | Too much blood went in at once | Add the rest in smaller amounts and fold after each addition |
| Rice turns mashed and sticky | Rice was still hot, or was mixed too hard | Next time cool the rice first and fold gently instead of stirring |
| The leaf splits while wrapping | The leaf was stiff, or the parcel was overfilled | Warm the leaf until it softens and use less filling |
| Red liquid in a steamed parcel | Not cooked through | Do not eat it. Close it and keep steaming |
| The center temperature falls short | Parcel is thick, or the steam is weak | Keep steaming until both temperature conditions are met, whatever the clock says |
| Parcels feel dry or steam doesn't reach the middle | The wrap is stiff or overfilled | Next time soften the leaves first and avoid overfilling |
Leftovers
Eat khao kan chin right after steaming. If any is left over, refrigerate it quickly and reheat it thoroughly before eating. We don't give a storage period or a number of times it can be reheated, because our sources do not support one.
Variations Worth Knowing
Treat these as comparisons rather than changes to the method above.
- A different ratio. A Thai community research report records a northern version using 2 cups of cooked rice, 100g of pork blood, 300g of lean minced pork, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of sugar. It has much more pork and less blood, so don't mix its amounts into this recipe.
- Heat on the side. Serve the fried chilies separately so each person controls the spice.
- Herbs and cucumber on the side. Keep them apart from the parcel so fresh vegetables never touch anything raw during preparation.
- With noodles. Chiangrai108 describes khao kan chin being sold with khanom jeen nam ngiao in Chiang Rai.
Where It Comes From and How It's Eaten
Ros Chaad Thai describes khao kan chin as a northern Thai home dish influenced by the Tai Yai (Shan). Chiangrai108 also gives the name ข้าวเงี้ยว, and describes cooked rice, lemongrass-treated pork blood and minced pork mixed with salt and steamed in leaf. The community research report records it under the name เนื้อส้มอุ่น (ข้าวกันจิ้น). You will also see the spelling ข้าวกั้นจิ้น. The sources don't settle the origin of the name or a date for the dish, and we wouldn't call it the property of any one group.
The dish uses ordinary cooked rice with the grains still visible. It isn't blood-dyed glutinous rice stuffed into a casing. The accompaniments named across the sources are fried garlic, fried dried chili, shallot, cilantro, scallion and cucumber.
If you enjoy Thai rice dishes, compare it with khao man gai or khao kluk kapi, which also pairs rice with separate accompaniments. For another route into northern Thai food, try gaeng hung lay.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is khao kan chin made with sticky rice?
Not in this recipe. Ros Chaad Thai calls for 500g of cooked rice (ข้าวสวย), not glutinous rice.
Is the pork blood raw when it's mixed in?
Yes, the blood and pork are raw at the mixing stage, then cooked through inside the parcels. This article covers only the fully steamed dish, and nothing should be tasted before cooking.
How long do the parcels steam?
Ros Chaad Thai says about 30 minutes or until cooked, without giving a parcel size. Let the thermometer decide: the center of the thickest parcel should stay at 71°C or above for at least 10 minutes and also reach at least 75°C for at least 1 minute.
Does rubbing the blood with lemongrass make it safe?
No. Neither lemongrass nor lime makes pork or blood safe. Safety depends on trusted supply, clean handling and thorough heating.
What if I can't find food-grade pork blood?
Don't make this dish. Blood from another animal, from an unknown source or collected at home isn't an acceptable replacement.
How much of the fried garlic and oil goes into the rice?
Use 3–4 tbsp, with the ambiguity explained above: the recipe doesn't clearly say how that amount divides between garlic and oil. Don't mix in the full 100g of each.
What do I serve with it?
Serve it with fried garlic, fried chilies, shallots, scallion, cilantro and cucumber. In Chiang Rai, it may also be sold with khanom jeen nam ngiao.
Sources
- Chef Cares Foundation (Ros Chaad Thai archive), "ข้าวกั๊นจิ๊น." Dish description, ingredients, amounts, method, steaming guide and accompaniments. https://roschaadthai.com/th/recipe/232-khao-kan-chin
- Thailand Research Fund community research e-library, report RDG55N0011 (ข้าวกันจิ้น entry, printed p. 105). Regional name, a different ratio and accompaniments, used for comparison only. https://elibrary.tsri.or.th/fullP/RDG55N0011/RDG55N0011_full.pdf
- Chiangrai108, "ข้าวกั้นจิ้น." The name ข้าวเงี้ยว, method outline, accompaniments and sale with khanom jeen nam ngiao in Chiang Rai. https://www.chiangrai108.com/food/1616/
- Thailand Department of Disease Control, ODPC9, guidance on pork and pork blood. Heating above 70°C for at least 10 minutes, trusted supply, protective handling and separate raw and cooked tools. It is not a schedule for this recipe. https://ddc.moph.go.th/odpc9/news.php?deptcode=odpc9&news=41349&news_views=1252
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan, "家庭での食中毒予防." General household guidance on 75°C at the center for 1 minute and on preventing cross-contamination. It is not specific to pork blood. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00008.html
- Thailand Department of Health, Food Sanitation Bureau, "อาหารเป็นพิษ โรคฮิตที่ต้องระวัง" (2020). General advice on thorough cooking, avoiding raw or undercooked meat, reheating, refrigeration and preventing cross-contamination. https://foodsan.anamai.moph.go.th/th/news-anamai/download/?did=30375&id=99040&lang=th&mid=37684&mkey=m_document
- Ryukyu Shimpo, report on the suspension of pork blood shipments at the Nago meat center (May 13, 2017). Japanese rules on chilling and knife washing, and shipment of food-use pork blood in Okinawa. https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-494938.html
- Ryukyu Shimpo, report on the Yaeyama meat center resuming pork and goat blood shipments (August 21, 2017). Dedicated storage and refrigeration improvements before shipments resumed. https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-559311.html
