Congee is a popular rice porridge in many Asian countries, with various names and preparation styles. It is often served with side dishes and is commonly eaten for breakfast or as a snack. Congee is also believed to have healing properties and is given to the sick and babies. Different cultures have their own variations, with various ingredients and side dishes. China has the most versions, including a sweet porridge made with azuki beans.
Congee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten or served with a side dish. The names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation. What doesn’t change, however, is Asia’s love of the dish.
To prepare the dish, rice is boiled in large quantities of water until significantly softened. A typical rice cooker in Asia will have a congee setting to aid in preparation. The rice used can be sticky or regular depending on the country’s common practice. Culture also often determines how congee is cooked and eaten.
In some respects, rice congee is like chicken soup; its smooth texture and easily digestible ingredients make it ideal for the sick. People who are sick are traditionally given congeal to improve their health. Herbs and ginseng are often included in the dish because they are believed to have healing effects. Babies are also given this porridge as a way to get started on solid foods.
Most countries serve congee as a breakfast food. In Singapore, it is often eaten as a midnight snack. In some cultures, numerous ingredients are used, while others are limited to the basics. Burmese san byohk, for example, generally just uses broth and chopped onions for flavor. Meanwhile, Korean juk is cooked with milk, tuna and garnished with vegetables.
The side dishes are almost as important to the congee experience as the main course itself. A person ordering cháo in Vietnam will most likely have frozen pork blood served with it. In China, century eggs often accompany their congee. Juk is flavored by the ubiquitous kimchi. Chicken organs, such as gizzards and intestines, are served with Indonesian bubur.
In Filipino cuisine, congee is known as lugaw. It is usually found in upscale restaurants and street food stalls due to the Filipinos’ penchant for the dish. Congee in the Philippines is mainly classified into two types: goto and arroz caldo. Goto is served with beef tripe, while arroz caldo is cooked with chicken stock.
The Japanese call their version okayu. This type of congee resembles baby food due to the way it is prepared. Iem > Okayu is cooked using relatively little water, giving it a thick texture. Eggs can also be added to further thicken the dish.
China probably has the most versions of congee. Regions scarce in rice use cornmeal and barley for the dish. Ingredients used in Chinese congee include bamboo shoots, pickled tofu, and duck eggs. One version, red bean soup, is a type of sweet porridge made with azuki beans.
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