Congee: Healing Rice Porridge
These days, digestion has become a big topic of conversation. Whether its getting “regular”, what fermented foods to eat or what strain of probiotics are the best, people are talking about their guts and how to get them healthy. Something the Chinese figured out more than 2,000 years ago, is a delicious, digestive-harmonizing dish of rice porridge, called Congee or Jook.
Traditionally, congee is eaten for breakfast and is part of a typical “qing dan” diet that consists of eating simple foods, ”mostly grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits…” According to Bob Flaws, "qing" means clear or pure and light. "Dan" means bland. The foods that support this kind of diet is believed to be be the foundation of good health and long life in Chinese medicine.
Let us not forget that these simple foods we talk about are actually the diet of “peasant” people living in temperate regions throughout the world. I use the word peasant not to denote a subjective sense of being financially “poor,” but to bring awareness to its Latin roots, pāgus which has historical been used to describe peoples and communities living closely with the Earth and who are aware of the intricate relationships binding all life.
Its no accident that living in rural environments is more simple or rather, less complicated and distracting than metropolitan life. And here, like in any place, the food people eat reflects that way of life—in this instance subsisting on mostly grains, vegetables, beans and fruits.
Contrary to the typical American “grand slam” breakfast, full of refined wheat, sugar, caffeine, and animal protein, congee offers the nourishment of those highly dense breakfast foods, without creating excess, resulting in inflammation and mucus, which slows down our system.
The Chinese are known for adding herbs into congee as a way of “eating your medicine.” A wide spectrum of common ailments are treated with herbs and vegetables cooked in with the congee. A simple bowl of congee is a great way to give our digestion a break which further promotes healing in the body. A good source for what specific plants to use is The Book of Jook by Bob Flaws or Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford.
Enjoying a warm bowl of congee for breakfast has become my go-to. It keeps really well and if I make a batch the evening before, its ready to go in the morning. Using a crock pot will be helpful for those with limited time.
Ingredients
1 cup rice, we use white rice like basmati or jasmine, but brown works too
6-8 cups water or broth
Method
If possible, soak the rice the night before by adding it to a bowl and covering with water until submerged. Strain and rinse the rice before cooking. This helps the rice (or any grain) become more digestible by breaking down enzyme inhibitors and it helps reduce cook time. Otherwise, simply rinse the rice before cooking. Add rice and water to a medium pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to low (the lowest your stove can go) and partially cover for at least 2 hours. If time permits, consider cooking for 2-6 hours, since the longer the congee cooks, the more medicinal it becomes. You’ll know the porridge is done when the grains are broken down and its the consistency of a thin soup. Add more liquid throughout cooking if needed.
Makes 4-6 servings
Toppings:
Good additions for a savory style porridge—grated carrots, ghee or coconut oil, tamari, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, toasted nori strips, smoked salmon, soft boiled egg or scallions.
If sweet is more your style, try adding in coconut milk, a couple chopped dates or raisins, cardamom and a drizzle of honey.