Xiao 3rd Road Large Intestine Rice Ring (Da Chang Quan) | Keelung Signature Dish

Xiao 3rd Road is another food street near Temple Street, with stalls that feel more neighborhood-local than Ren 3rd Road. The da chang quan stall slices the steamed intestine into thick rounds and arranges them on a plate; ginger-infused soy sauce paste is drizzled over, and the ginger aroma arrives before anything else. Da chang quan doesn't look as eye-catching as fried shrimp rolls, but for Temple Street regulars, it's a must-try item for getting to know Xiao 3rd Road's food scene — and one half of the two-intestine combination alongside pig liver sausage.

What is Large Intestine Rice Ring

Da chang quan uses cleaned pork large intestine as the casing, stuffed with long-grain glutinous rice and pig blood, tied at both ends and steamed, then cooled to set before being sliced into rounds about 1 to 1.5 centimeters thick. The glutinous rice absorbs the fat from the pork intestine during steaming and takes on an intestinal aroma; the pig blood provides a deep color and a mineral undertone. After slicing, soy sauce paste and ginger juice are drizzled over the top — the ginger's pungency is there to balance the oily edge of the intestine casing. In terms of texture, the glutinous rice is the main body — soft and substantial — while the outer layer of pork intestine gives a satisfying chew.

Xiao 3rd Road runs alongside Temple Street's Ren 3rd Road, forming an extension of the Temple Street night market food zone. Xiao 3rd Road is known for the pairing of da chang quan and pig liver sausage; though both look similar — sliced intestine rounds — they are entirely different in composition: pig liver sausage uses pork liver stuffed into casing, while da chang quan uses glutinous rice as the filling in pork large intestine. Local word of mouth on Xiao 3rd Road shows these old stalls have been serving the neighborhood for many years and are part of the Temple Street ecosystem, but with a more everyday quality that attracts fewer tourists.

How to eat like a local

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The ginger juice is the soulGinger juice is not a supporting player — it's the core of da chang quan's deodorizing function. The local way is to mix ginger juice and soy sauce paste together, then drizzle evenly over the sliced rounds so every piece is coated.

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Try pig liver sausage separately for comparisonXiao 3rd Road usually serves pig liver sausage and da chang quan side by side. Getting a few slices of each to compare is worthwhile: the liver sausage is slimmer, the rice ring is wider, and the flavor structures are completely different.

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Pair with plain rice or Temple Street oil riceDa chang quan is a well-portioned standalone snack. Pairing it with a bowl of plain rice or Temple Street oil rice makes a complete meal — a double-starch combination of glutinous rice intestine and plain rice is the traditional way to eat it on Xiao 3rd Road.

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Best eaten warmOnce da chang quan cools, the glutinous rice hardens and the casing contracts, noticeably diminishing the texture. Eat it as soon as the vendor plates it — don't pack it up to eat later.

Local knowledge

Objective credentials

Xiao 3rd Road is an extension food cluster adjacent to the Temple Street night market. Da chang quan is this street's signature item, documented in local food surveys.
Da chang quan and pig liver sausage form the two-intestine pairing of Xiao 3rd Road. This distinction is clearly explained in surveys of snacks around Keelung Temple Street; the two differ completely in ingredients and texture.

Visitor tips

Xiao 3rd Road is next to Temple Street's Ren 3rd Road. Walking from the direction of Dianjigong Temple, the concentration of Xiao 3rd Road food stalls is about 2 to 3 minutes away.
Xiao 3rd Road stalls tend to wrap up slightly earlier than those on Temple Street's Ren 3rd Road. Visiting Xiao 3rd Road before the main Temple Street crowd peaks is advisable.
Da chang quan is typically sold by the plate — about 4 to 6 slices per plate. That's enough for two people to share without worrying about too much.

Sources: Xiao 3rd Road food street local reputation records; survey of snacks around Keelung Temple Street. Photos pending Dio's on-site shoot for exclusive channel footage.

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