Congee

Congee is an extremely delicious rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries. It is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or as a late supper dish. In most Asian countries, one can always find a street vendor selling congee throughout the day. Truly, it is not just a delicious dish, but also nutritious and easy on the stomach.

Congee can be eaten or served with a side dish such as dumplings and meat rolls. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation. There might have been several names available for congee, but Asia's love for this dish remains unchanged.

To prepare this extremely delicious dish, rice is boiled in large amounts of water until it softens significantly. The rice used can either be sticky or regular depending on the country's common practice. Spices were also being added to the dish to make its taste more special. The soft texture of congee and its easily digestible ingredients make it ideal for children and sick people. Bland in taste, it also acts as a base for many toppings, including ginger, fish, peanuts, shrimp, eggs, or just anything our taste buds will crave for.

On a cold winter day, there really is nothing quite like a hot bowl of special congee topped with our favorite spices and side dish to warm the body.

Here's how you can make your own basic congee:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Long-grain rice

9 1/2 Cups Water

1.5 tsp Salt

Spring onions for garnish

Procedure:

1.) In a pot bring the water and rice to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer.

2.) Cook for an hour, stirring occasionally. It will eventually become sticky and the rice will be soft. Season with salt and other seasonings if desired.

3.) Garnish with dumplings if available or slices of spring onions.

-Emee Chung