Khao Tom — Thai Rice Porridge / ข้าวต้ม

Central Thai and Chinese-Thai — deeply rooted in the Chinese immigrant cooking tradition but adapted over generations into a distinctly Thai preparation

Khao tom is the Thai rice porridge eaten for breakfast and as comfort food — it is fundamentally different from Chinese congee (jok) despite superficial similarity. Where jok cooks broken rice with stock until fully broken down into a smooth, thick porridge, khao tom uses whole jasmine rice cooked briefly in pork broth until the grains are just-softened and beginning to release starch — the rice is recognisable, the broth is clear but slightly starchy, and the texture is more soup-with-rice than porridge. It is served with a precise set of garnishes: fried garlic, preserved salted egg, ginger julienne, green onion, crispy dried shrimp, and a generous crack of white pepper. The eating experience involves constant condiment addition.

Khao tom is Thai food at its most restorative and least performative — it communicates care rather than technique, and its simplicity reveals the quality of the broth and the precision of the garnish assembly.