I may have piqued your interest with the name Changji Street pigs blood soup, but I would like to set the record straight on exactly what that means:
Pig’s blood soup doesn’t just mean a soup made of blood, where when you finish your bowl you’re already well on your way to being Dracula’s number one fan, no. We are talking about semi-solidified chunks of pigs blood, in a soup broth. There’s an irony taste that comes with it, and a jelly-like consistency that enables it to melt in your mouth.
Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure through the vibrant streets of Taipei as we delve into the unique and intriguing world of pig blood soup. A staple of Taiwanese cuisine, pig blood soup is a dish that combines tradition, flavor, and cultural heritage.
In Taipei’s bustling food scene, there are countless establishments that serve this delicacy, each with its own twist on the classic recipe. One such place is a hidden gem called ChangJi Street Pigs Blood Soup. Nestled in the heart of the city, this restaurant is renowned for its authentic and soul-warming pig blood soup.
At ChangJi Street Pigs Blood Soup, you’ll discover a bowl of pig blood soup that’s both comforting and tantalizing. The rich broth, simmered to perfection, is infused with aromatic spices and herbs, creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your palate. The tender pieces of pork blood, cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection, add a unique texture and depth to the dish.
ChangJi Street Pigs Blood Soup is a firm favourite of mine to get my fill of pig’s blood soup (豬血湯 zhū xiě tāng) and braised pork over rice (滷肉飯 lǔ ròu fàn). Any of you out there who are unfamiliar with the braised pork over rice love affair that I have, need to head over here and read my post about one of my favourite spots over in Sanchong.
New Taipei City street food – SanChong’s JinDa pork rice 今大滷肉飯，三重區
Whether you're a daring food adventurer or simply curious about experiencing local cuisine, a visit to ChangJi Street Pigs Blood Soup is a must. Immerse yourself in the culinary traditions of Taipei as you savour the flavors of their renowned pig blood soup, a dish that speaks to the heart of the essence of Taiwanese gastronomy.
Table of Contents
The outside of the restaurant is a bit of a slap in the face with everything piggy, really. It looks like they are 2 separate places, but they're adjoined. To the left is the kitchen, and to the right is the restaurant. Go in the door on the right, and you'll be shown to your table.
The Menu at Changji Street Pigs Blood Soup
The menu is split into 4 sections:
- Soup
- 湯類 - tāng lèi
- Rice, noodles, or rice noodles
- 飯麵米粉類 - fàn, miàn, mǐ fěn lèi
- Drinks
- 飲料 - yǐnliào
- Small plates
- 小菜類 - xiǎo cài lèi
In the soup section, from top to bottom, you'll find the classic pig blood soup priced at $50, the classic soup + intestines for $95, spicy soup for 70, and spicy soup + intestines for $105.
What makes this restaurant more interesting is the right section of the menu at the top
First of all, you tick left if you are eating in, and right if you want to take away.
Next, you decide on if you want (from left to right) normal soup, soup with less oil, soup with no oil, soup with no leeks, soup with no pickled vegetables.
We always go for no oil added to our soup. The braised pork over rice is going to give us all of the oil that we could ever want (and then some), so we don't want to overload right here. But, that's your choice to make here at ChangJi Street Pigs Blood Soup.
Sauce Moistening Area
Yes, you read that right. Move over dry sauce, this is where the moist sauce lives. Or is is the sauce that you use to moisten your dish up? Who knows, but let's check out the sauces.
Front right you have the spicy tomato sauce, then front middle you have a soy sauce based sauce, then front right you have a leek and soy sauce based sauce. You'll also spot a luminous green sauce, that's wasabi, sat next to a glass jar of brown sugar...
To the left of the brown sugar is the knock-your-head-off chilli sauce, then followed by a bowl of their pickled vegetables.
My sauce recommendation
You gotta get that tomato chilli sauce front left, and you also have to try out the leek and soy based sauce on the front right. If you're in the mood for something hot (I wasn't as the weather was hot enough at the time), then the chilli sauce at the back is awesome.
ChangJi Street Pigs Blood Soup
豬血湯 (湯不油) - Zhū xiě tāng (tāng bù yóu)
Look at all of those cubes of deliciously jellified pig blood. There are some leeks creeping on up in there, and you may be able to spy some pickled veg, too.
The broth itself is incredibly light, barely holding flavour at all. Most of the flavour comes from the big blood and the leeks. It's tasty enough but neither adds nor subtracts from the overall flavours going on in the dish.
As you can see, it's nothing to be scared by. In contrast the Thai blood soup is way more frightening to look at! Gelatinous in texture, there is a mildly irony taste to this pork blood soup. It's not salty, nor is it sweet. In fact, it doesn't have a whole lot of flavour at all, which is partly why the sauce moistening area is so packed with sauces.
One thing to note about the freshness of pig blood, is that when you bite into it and there are almost no air bubbles - it's super fresh. If there are lots of air pockets, then it's probably not quite as fresh.
Braised pork over rice
魯肉飯 - Lǔ ròu fàn
I'm going to say it right here - this is one of my favourite bowls of braised pork over rice in the whole city. The fat to meat ratio is perfectly fatty, the rice is pretty well cooked, and the flavours are truly deep without it being overly salty. You'll come out with oily lips, for sure, but that's the sign of some good braised pork over rice. Get strapped in for a great taste adventure right here!
Which do you prefer? Mixed, or not mixed?
Leave your answer in the comments below, but I would really like to know - Do you mix your rice with the braised pork, or do you just chow down as it is?
I am personally not a mixer. I like to get a spoon up in there and just shovel it in.
Slow-braised cabbage + cold seaweed
魯白菜 + 涼拌海帶芽 - Lǔ bái cài + liáng bàn hǎi dài yá
To the left is the slow-braised cabbage, and on the right is the cold seaweed salad.
Slow-braised cabbage is one of those effortlessly indulgent dishes. Using Napa cabbage and slow braising it for hours allows for the sweetness of the cabbage to come out, breaking down all of the fibers to allow it to soften and develop flavours. Often served with some some tiny preserved shrimp, the fragrance comes through. This is one of my favourite bowls of slow-braised cabbage in the whole city. It's so fresh and moreish.
The seaweed is similarly delicious. Served cold with chilli, fresh ginger, and sesame seeds, it's wonderfully refreshing on a hot day. You should definitely get this.
Cold noodles
涼麵 - Liáng miàn
They are always in 7-11 and Family Mart throughout summer, and I regular go get them for a quick lunch fix. Cold noodles are often served with a sesame sauce, a dollop of garlic paste, finely cut cucumbers, and finely shredded cabbage. The fragrance of the sesame mixed in with the garlic bring this delightful freshness to the cold noodles. The cucumber and carrot help to lift that freshness by adding some clean flavours, and the dish is so simple in every way.
Cold intestines
涼拌脆腸 - Liáng bàn cuì cháng
I fully appreciate that this dish both sounds and looks pretty disgusting. The intestines are cooked up and plunged into ice to allow them to retain their crunchiness while being cooked. They are then dressed with a soy sauce vinegar with leeks and green onions. Sat on top of some pickled cabbage, the dish is complete.
But, how does it taste?
Pretty good, actually. Intestines are crunchy yet tasty, especially when paired with the pickled cabbage underneath that has been allowed to soak in all of that soy sauce vinegar. It's not for the faint hearted, but certainly worth a try if you have the stomach for it.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? For the braised pork over rice, yes! If you are looking for pig blood soup, then it's a good shout, but I can't really tell much of a difference between Changji street pigs blood soup and many other pig blood soup restaurants, really.
What is the 'must order'? Braised pork over rice + slow-braised cabbage. These are both delicious, and well worth ordering.