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Best Htamin jin in London

“Fermented rice kneaded with lake fish, potatoes, and three kinds of garlic—the Intha way.”

Htamin jin

What the real thing tastes like

Htamin jin (Burmese: ထမင်းချဉ်‌, pronounced [tʰəmɪ́ɰ̃ dʑɪ̀ɰ̃]; also spelt htamin gyin; lit. 'sour rice') is a Burmese dish of fermented rice. It is the regional specialty and signature dish of the Intha people of Inle Lake in Shan State, Myanmar. The dish consists of either fresh or fermented rice, kneaded with boiled fish (usually caught from the Inle Lake, such as nga gyin), fresh tomato paste, mashed boiled potatoes and garlic garnish. Highland Shan rice, similar to Japanese rice, is used alongside the creamier Shan potatoes, giving the dish a very rich texture. Garlic chives roots, garlic oil and crispy garlic garnish are added as a final touch. Htamin jin is usually served with roasted chili flakes in oil.

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Htamin jin is a fermented rice dish that belongs entirely to the Intha people of Inle Lake—it's their signature, their place on a plate. Rice (fresh or aged) gets kneaded with lake fish, tomato paste, boiled potato, and garlic into something dense and creamy, then finished with garlic chives, garlic oil, and crispy garlic bits. It arrives with roasted chili flakes in oil, ready to push back against all that richness.

Order it here when it has

  • very rich texture
  • regional specialty
  • uses fresh local ingredients from Inle Lake

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