Food and drinkRice porridge in Thai
“Rice porridge” in Thai is โจ๊กjóok; the thinner rice soup is ข้าวต้มkâao-dtôm.
rice porridge, congee noun smooth congee
- jóok high
- High: start high and go a little higher, a bit tense; don’t let it fall.
rice soup noun
- kâao falling
- dtôm falling
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
How to use it
โจ๊กjóok is rice cooked until thick and smooth, served with pork balls, ginger, spring onion and often an egg stirred in. It's a classic breakfast, and what Thais eat when they're ill.
ข้าวต้มkâao-dtôm, "boiled rice", is thinner: whole grains in a light broth with pork, shrimp or fish. Late-night ข้าวต้มkâao-dtôm shops serve plain rice soup with a spread of side dishes, a favourite after a night out.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- jok
- chok
- khao tom
- kao tom
- khao dtom
More food and drink in Thai
All food and drink- ข้าวเหนียว kâao-nǐaw Sticky rice
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง kâao-nǐaw má-mûang Mango sticky rice
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones