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Rice congee
Chinese rice congee
Chinese name
Chinese:	粥
Transliterations Kejia (Hakka) - Romanization: zuk5 (IPA: [ʦuk3]) Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin: zhōu Wu - Shanghainese   romanization: tzoq (IPA: [ʦɔʔ5]) Yue (Cantonese) - Jyutping: zuk1 - IPA: [ʧok5] - Taishan Jyutping: zuk1 (IPA: [ʦuk3])
Min Chinese name
Chinese:	糜
Transliterations Min - Min-nan POJ: beí or muê
Filipino name
Tagalog:	lúgao
Japanese name
Kanji:	1. 粥 2. 白粥
Hiragana:	1. かゆ 2. しらがゆ
Transliterations - Revised Hepburn: 1. kayu 2. shiragayu
Korean name
Hangul:	죽
Hanja:	粥
Transliterations - Revised   Romanization: juk - McCune-   Reischauer: chuk
Malay name
Malay:	bubur
Portuguese name
Portuguese:	canja
Thai name
Thai:	โจ๊ก chohk
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese:	cháo
Spanish name
Spanish:	arroz caldo
Khmer name
Khmer:	p'baw
Indonesian name
Indonesian:	bubur
Indonesian name
Javanese:	bubur
Burmese name
Burmese:	san byoke
Bengali name
Bengali:	জাউ jau (IPA: [dʒaw])
Hindi name
Hindi:	ganji
Malayalam name
Malayalam:	kanji
Tamil name
Tamil:	kanji
Tulu name
Tulu:	kanji

Rice congee is a type of rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries. The word congee is possibly derived from the Dravidian word kanji.^[1] In some cultures, congee is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper, while in others, it is eaten as a substitute for rice in other meals.

Congee can be made in a pot or in a rice cooker. Some rice cookers even have a "congee" setting allowing the user to cook their breakfast congee overnight.

Cultural variations

Chinese

Chinese congees are varied in different regions. For example, to make Guangdong congee, white rice is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly viscous white porridge^[2]. Congees made in other regions may used different types of rice with different quantities of water, thus resulting in a thicker or more viscous product.

It is often eaten with zha cai, salted duck eggs, lettuce and dace paste, bamboo shoots, youtiao, wheat gluten, with other condiments, meat or century eggs

Other seasonings, such as white pepper and soy sauce, may be added. Alternatively, fish can be grilled and mixed in to provide a texture different from the watery congee.

Occasionally, a sweet version is prepared by mixing rice congee with red beans and sugar for certain traditional festivals.

Congee is often eaten with fried bread sticks known as youtiao. Congee with youtiao is commonly eaten as breakfast in many areas in China. Congee can be left watery or can be drained so that the congee has a texture that is like Western oatmeal porridge. Congee can also be made from brown rice, although this is less common and takes longer to cook.

Besides serving as everyday meal, congee is considered as food therapy for the unwell. Ingredients can be determined by their supposed therapeutic value as well as flavor.

The origin of congee is unknown, but from many historical accounts, it is usually served during times of famine, or when numerous patrons visit the temples. Thus, it can be interpreted as a way to stretch the rice supply to feed more people.

In China, congee has also been used to feed young infants. However, the cooking time is much longer than okayu, and as it is for infants, the congee is not seasoned with salt or any other flavoring, but often is mixed with pre-steamed and deboned fish.

Congee can also be made from other grains, like cornmeal, millet, barley, and sorghum. These are common in the north of China, where rice does not grow.^{[citation needed]} Multigrain congee mixes are popularly sold in the health food sections of Chinese supermarkets. Congee with mung beans is usually eaten with sugar, just like red bean congee. The mung beans are eaten for their therapeutic "cooling" effect.^{[citation needed]}

Japanese

Okayu is the name for the type of congee eaten in Japan.^[3] Okayu is still considerably thicker than congee produced in other cultures.^{[citation needed]} For example, a typical Cantonese style congee uses a water to rice ratio of 12:1, but okayu typically uses water to rice ratios of 5:1 (zen-gayu) or 7:1 (shichibun-gayu). Also, its cooking time is short compared to other types of congee; okayu is cooked for about 30 minutes, while Cantonese congees cook for an hour or more.

Okayu may simply consist of rice and water, although salt is often added for seasoning. Beaten eggs could be beaten into it to thicken it into gruel. Toppings may be added to enhance flavour; negi (a type of green onion), salmon, roe, ginger, and umeboshi (pickled ume fruit) are among the most common. Similarly, miso or chicken stock may be used to flavor the broth. Most Japanese electric rice cookers have a setting for okayu.

In Japan, okayu is popularly known as a food served to the ill, occupying a similar cultural status to that of chicken noodle soup in America. Because it is soft and easily digestible, okayu is the first solid food served to Japanese infants; it is used to transition them from liquids to the thicker rice dishes which constitute much of the Japanese diet. It is also commonly eaten by the elderly for the same reasons.

A type of okayu called nanakusa-gayu (七草粥, "Seven Herb Porridge") is traditionally eaten on 7 January, as a way of using special herbs that protect against evils, and to invite good luck and longevity in the new year. Moreover, as a simple, light dish, nanakusagayu serves as a break from the many heavy dishes eaten over the Japanese New Year.

Korean

In Korea the dish goes by the name juk and is often cooked with vegetables, tuna, or other ingredients to create variants of the dish. Being largely unflavored, it is served together with a number of side dishes such as kimchi, beef jerky, pickled cuttlefish, or other ingredients, to add flavor to the dish.

Juk is a common take-out dish, with several large chain stores selling it in South Korea, including Bon Juk and Hyun Juk.

It is also the dish of choice to serve the ill or elderly, as is it easily consumed and digested.

Filipino

Lúgao (alternately spelled "lugaw"^[4] or "lugau") is the Filipino name for congee. Very similar to Cantonese style congee, lúgao is typically of a thicker consistency, retaining the shape of the rice while achieving the same type of texture. It is boiled with strips of fresh ginger. Other flavors may be added according to taste. Most often it will be topped with scallions and served with crispy fried garlic. As with okayu, fish or chicken stock may also be used to flavor the broth. Lugaw can also be served with tokwa't baboy (diced tofu and pork), Goto, Utak (the pig's brain), as well as Calamansi, fish sauce, and soy Sauce. It is often served to the ill and the elderly, and is favored among Pinoys living abroad in colder climates because it is warm, soft, and easily digestible.

Some provinces prefer the Spanish-influenced, Arroz Caldo (literally Rice Soup), which is often mistaken for a European dish due to its name. Arroz Caldo is actually a Chinese congee that was adapted to the tastes of the Spanish colonial settlers who patronized Chinese restaurants in the Philippines. As the Spanish could not pronounce Chinese, they gave it a Spanish name for easy reference.

Arroz Caldo is most usually spiced with saffron and black pepper in place of or in addition to the more traditional ginger and scallion. Arroz Caldo more closely resembles risotto than congee, and is clearly recognized by the bright yellow hue contributed by the addition of saffron, and the larger pieces of meat. Arroz Caldo is more popular among those of Ilokano heritage, although other provinces, such as Cebu, add Philippine prawns, a dash of olive oil, bay leaf, and bits of Chinese sausage. Thus Arroz Caldo is a unique blend of East and West all in one bowl, and attests to a history of colonial heritage, an active spice trade, and a cultural interaction between different peoples.

Indian

Udupi rice ganji is a variant made by Tulu-speaking or Konkani people in and around Udupi and Mangalore (Karnataka, South India). Here parboiled rice (oorpel aari in Tulu or ukda tandul in Konkani) is steamed with a small amount of water. Fresh coconut is grated and its milk is skimmed; this milk is then added to the ganji. The ganji (called paj in Konkani) is served hot with fish curry, coconut chutney, or Indian pickles.

Vietnamese

In Vietnam, rice congee is called cháo. It is often cooked together with pandan leaves. Cháo gà is a variety of cháo cooked with chicken and garlic, which is prepared for death anniversary ceremonies, during which it is offered to the spirits of one's ancestors.

See also

• Red bean soup
• Rice pudding
• Khichdi
• Japanese cuisine
• Filipino cuisine
• Tamil cuisine
• Thayir sadam
• Udupi cuisine

References

External links

• A short article on the health benefits of congee as well as recipe
• Chinese Porridge article and recipezh-yue:粥