Chao Long
“A hearty Vietnamese rice porridge cooked in pork-bone broth and topped with an assortment of poached pork offal: liver, heart, intestine, stomach and slices of Vietnamese blood pudding. Brightened with fried shallots, scallion, pepper and herbs, it is a beloved morning and late-night comfort dish.”
Where it comes from
A staple of Vietnamese street stalls and markets nationwide; offal porridge stretches humble ingredients into a rich, nourishing bowl and is closely associated with rustic, frugal home cooking.
On the plate
The porridge is thick and soothing, the broth deeply porky. Each spoon brings a different texture, the snap of intestine, the softness of liver, the bounce of blood pudding, all lifted by fried shallots and a hit of pepper.
How it works
Toasting the rice before simmering helps the grains break down into a creamy porridge while adding a nutty note. Poaching each offal separately respects its different cooking time so nothing turns rubbery.
Variations
Chao long heo (pork), regional versions with extra dau chao quay (fried dough); some add congealed blood
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓40 min active · 60 min waiting
How it's made
8 steps · Show ↓- 160 min
Simmer pork bones with toasted rice and a little ginger to make a thin, savory porridge.
- 220 min
Clean the pork offal thoroughly, scrubbing intestine and stomach with salt.
- 315 min
Poach the liver, heart, intestine and stomach separately until just tender, then slice.
- 412 min
Steam or boil the blood pudding until set, then cut into cubes.
- 53 min
Season the porridge broth with fish sauce, salt and pepper as the rice breaks down.
- 620 min
Cook until the rice grains burst and the porridge turns thick and creamy.
- 73 min
Ladle porridge into bowls and arrange the sliced offal and blood pudding on top.
- 82 min
Finish with fried shallots, scallion, herbs, black pepper and a squeeze of lime.
