Congee

Congee (pronounced KON-jee, from the Tamil word கஞ்சி) is a savory porridge made by simmering rice in plenty of water until it becomes soft. Its thickness can range from something like Western oatmeal to a thin gruel, depending on how much water is used. People often serve it with side dishes or top it with meat, fish, or pickled vegetables. Because it’s mild and easy to digest, congee is frequently given to people who are sick.

The English name comes from the Tamil word *kañci*. Portuguese traders adopted it as *canje*, and the first written record of the dish and its name appears in 1563. English then took the name from Portuguese. In China, congee is called *zhou*, with the earliest known reference dating to around 1000 BC during the Zhou dynasty. Across Asia, many similar dishes exist under different names.

In China, the term *zhou* or *xifan* usually means rice porridge in the south, while in the north it can be made from cornmeal, proso millet, foxtail millet, or sorghum, reflecting regional grain differences. In northwest Shanxi and Inner Mongolia, a fermented rice and millet porridge called *suan zhou* is popular. The grains are soaked to ferment, then drained; the leftover water is drunk as *suan mi tang*, and the porridge is eaten with pickled turnips, carrots, radish, or celery. Stir-fried, it becomes *chao suan zhou*, and it can also be steamed into solids called *suan lao fan*. Traditionally made with proso millet, it’s now often mixed with rice. Many local sayings about sourness come from this dish. In Shanghai and Suzhou, a glutinous rice porridge topped with red bean paste, sweet olive syrup, and brown sugar is called *chidou hu tang zhou*, and street vendors selling it appear in a well-known Wu Chinese nursery rhyme. Century egg congee, originally from Guangdong, became popular nationwide after 2000. KFC first tested it in Shanghai in 2002, then rolled it out across mainland China and Taiwan. It ranked among the top ten breakfast orders in nearly every major Chinese city, as far north as Harbin. Other common regional additions include salted duck eggs, rousong, zhacai, pickled tofu, mung beans, and organ meats like pig liver. Youtiao is often served on the side. Congee with many ingredients, such as Laba congee, is seen as expensive and festive.

In Taiwan, congee is called *muê* in Hokkien or *xifan* in Mandarin.