It is simple to cook, and easy to digest, and it can be made savory or sweet. The recipe lends itself to endless creative variations containing grains, beans, vegetables, meats, or fruits. Congee is an everyday food for millions across Asia, either as a breakfast porridge or late-night dinner. It is also reliable nourishment for the sick and frail. Yet this health food remains little-known in the West.
Some form of congee is eaten by people in China, Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as Turkey, Portugal, Cypress, and Greece. Have you heard of the slow-cooked, watery dish of broken grains known as congee? Maybe you know it by another name?
