# Can we talk about congee? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [February 16, 2022, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568 "2022-02-16T01:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/1 "2022-02-16T01:22:01Z")
I had heard of congee but wasn’t sure exactly what it was. The other day I watched a YouTube video where the cook made three different iterations. I was surprised at the high ratio of water/stock to rice-- seven cups of liquid to one cup of rice. And the long cooking time-- 1.5 to 2 hours. She kept checking the rice, looking for just the right texture. She added other things, chicken, ginger, bok choy. The finished product looked delicious, like a rice soup or maybe a loose risotto. I’d like to try this… any tips, recipes, pointers? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/2 "2022-02-16T02:34:33Z")
I dont have a recipe because I just make it. But it’s one of my favorite foods! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/3 "2022-02-16T04:07:10Z")
Um… could you describe your method in broad terms? What do you put in it besides rice-- meat, veggies, seasonings. What is the magic texture? ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/4 "2022-02-16T04:47:19Z")
The magic texture is smooth with some mushy rice in suspension. I put white rice and a lot of water in a pot, or cooked rice and water in a pot, uncovered bring to boil, reduce to very low simmer. Cook a few hours, stirring now and then so it doesn’t stick to the bottom and addibg water. When it’s between gruel and porridge, it’s ready. It should be glutinous/a bit stretchy but still liquid. Serve with myshrooms, greens, bok choi, meatsy bits or tofu, scallions, ginger, sauted individually or raw, in side dishes. Top with a cut-up medium boiled egg. Add vegetables etc. and sauce as desired. You can also make it more Euro by using spinach or kale, morels, and a splash of sherry during cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/5 "2022-02-16T05:32:55Z")
It can also be left fairly bland, as a meal for someone who isn’t feeling well. I understand it makes good and easily digestible comfort food. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/6 "2022-02-16T05:35:26Z")
I’ve made it in my Instant Pot when I wasn’t feeling well. Sooooo delicious, even when my appetite was zero. IIRC, I used canned chicken, and put the IP on for a half-hour or so and let the pressure naturally release. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/7 "2022-02-16T10:54:01Z")
Congee is rice porridge. At its core it is rice cooked in an excess of water or other liquid. Since rice grains are almost pure starch, they will absorb a surprising amount of water so a large volume is required to get the right porridge consistency. Even after cooking, the rice will continue to absorb the liquid so it is best to consume congee almost immediately, though you could reconstitute it with hot water. An advanced rice cooker, pressure cooker or instant pot may have a “congee” setting, especially if it’s from Asia, where you just press the button and it does the rest. Sure takes the guess work out of cooking it. Since I’m Filipino, I’m going to describe some Filipino congee recipes below. The basic Filipino congee is called _lugaw_, which is rice, often glutinous, boiled in an excess of water. To this is added various viands and condiments like tofu, pork, beef, scrambled eggs, hard boiled eggs, toasted garlic, ginger, scallions, etc. Note that these are added to the congee after it has been cooked and served. It’s up to the diner what items to add and in which proportions. A step up is _arroz caldo_. The rice is cooked in chicken stock rather than water. Then pieces of chicken are added. Traditionally, an entire chicken is boiled with ginger, then the chicken is removed and the resulting stock is used to cook the rice. Then the chicken is added back to the congee. Saffron is often added to get a vibrant yellow color. For the more adventurous, there is also _goto_, made with ox tripe rather than chicken. Finally, I have to mention _champorado_, which is a sweet porridge. To the basic congee, add cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. You can substitute coconut milk if you like. If you like it sweeter you can use evaporated milk. If you like it really, really sweet, you can use condensed milk. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/8 "2022-02-16T13:15:41Z")
My wife is Chinese, and during the work week, I get up first. This means I make a lot of her porridge. Usually congee, sometimes red beans, sometimes both, but always a mixture of stuff I just kind of gather and throw into the Instant Pot. The “porridge” setting seems to deliver the correct texture without fail. No salt, no fat, no sugar, no flavor at all. I can’t stand the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/9 "2022-02-16T13:42:02Z")
Thanks, y’all, for these very informative replies! I consider myself a real foodie, and I can’t believe I’ve never explored this dish before. I can’t remember ever seeing it on a restaurant menu either. Do people ever put fish in it? Shrimp or salmon or pieces of whitefish like cod? At the end when you’re putting in the goodies. I’ll explore some other recipe sites, too. It’s just that I like to get the Straight Dope here first. * * * * * * ETA: I just looked, and my IP (which I use all the time) _does_ have a “porridge” setting. Who knew? I never noticed it before. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/10 "2022-02-16T14:24:25Z")
Indonesians make their own version of congee, bubur ayam. The porridge itself is basically the same, though sometimes when I’ve had it I am pretty sure the rice was cooked not just with water but also coconut milk, making it extra rich. The important part is the accompaniments, though. Ideally, there will be a sumptuous selection of items to add to your thick, comforting bowl of bubur, including: - shredded chicken - finely chopped scallion - chicken broth (preferably aromatic, simmered with some ginger/galangal and adding some lemon juice, perhaps) - soy nuts - chopped coriander or parsley - sambal oelek (make your own or [I recommend this brand](https://smile.amazon.com/Huey-Fong-Sambal-Oelek-Chili/dp/B00VEIR5VE/ref=sr_1_2?crid=5LLB21CEYPKD&keywords=sambal+oelek&qid=1645020320&s=grocery&sprefix=sambal+oe%2Cgrocery%2C260&sr=1-2)) - kecap manis ([recommended brand](https://smile.amazon.com/Kecap-Manis-Sweet-Soy-Sauce/dp/B00886AVOI/ref=sr_1_3?crid=LDEHC3NNX6LF&keywords=ketjap+manis&qid=1645020433&sprefix=ketjap+manis%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-3)) - [bawang goreng](https://smile.amazon.com/Maesri-Fried-Shallot-8-8-Ounce/dp/B00L2A4MLA/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZKYBNM95V55Q&keywords=bawang+goreng+indonesia&qid=1645020534&rdc=1&sprefix=bawang%2Caps%2C196&sr=8-1) (fried shallots) - chopped soft-boiled eggs Delicious! There’s one more common topping that I’m not listing because it suddenly occurs to me that after sprinkling it on my bubur during over 17 years in Indonesia, I never knew just what it was or what it was called. It seemed like some kind of preserved salty fish. Oh well - most buffets didn’t have all the ingredients at once. Gotta have the chicken, chicken broth, kecap manis, sambal, and 1-2 other items and you’ll be reasonably authentic. If you did decide to go all out and purchase the linked ingredients, as long as you like to cook without being recipe-bound you would be able to use up leftovers. Kecap manis is literally just sweet soy sauce, the sambal is just chili, and the fried shallots are good as a topping on almost anything (they’re a bit like those French-fried onions people used to buy in cans as a topping for a green bean and mushroom soup casserole). ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/11 "2022-02-16T14:33:27Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Do people ever put fish in it? Shrimp or salmon or pieces of whitefish like cod? Yes, seafood is absolutely a common ingredient in congee. Here’s the menu from a popular local place, for instance: [https://www.congeequeen.com/menu/takeout211210/CongeeQueenTakeoutMenu.pdf](https://www.congeequeen.com/menu/takeout211210/CongeeQueenTakeoutMenu.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/12 "2022-02-16T14:48:28Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > A step up is _arroz caldo_ . The rice is cooked in chicken stock rather than water. Then pieces of chicken are added. Traditionally, an entire chicken is boiled with ginger, then the chicken is removed and the resulting stock is used to cook the rice. Then the chicken is added back to the congee. Saffron is often added to get a vibrant yellow color. This sounds terrific. I think I’m going to make a simplified version for dinner tonight since I have most of the ingredients, even the saffron (not sure if I have any scallions, which is unfortunate; I’ll just have to sub some thinly sliced red onion. A poor substitute, but will add some interesting color). Some weekend this winter I’ll try making the more traditional version with a whole chicken, water and ginger boiled together (sounds like a job for the Instant Pot), then I’ll make the Arroz Caldo out of the resulting chicken and stock. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/13 "2022-02-16T15:14:45Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I can’t remember ever seeing it on a restaurant menu either. The first and only place I’ve ever seen congee was on a cruise ship. Every morning at breakfast there’d be a line of Chinese people getting their congee. One morning I got in line with them and tried it. I was underwhelmed. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/14 "2022-02-16T15:19:04Z")
How funny. This showed up in my Youtube recs just fifteen minutes ago: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/S31cgQdmF24/maxresdefault.jpg "Why Congee is one of my favorite ways to use Leftover Rice.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S31cgQdmF24) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/15 "2022-02-16T15:50:14Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > How funny. This showed up in my Youtube recs just fifteen minutes ago… It’s the Vulcan mind meld in action. > [@hogarth](#): > > Here’s the menu from a popular local place, for instance: [Channeling Liz Lemon] “I want to go to that place.” ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/16 "2022-02-16T16:20:12Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I can’t remember ever seeing it on a restaurant menu either. It’s unlikely that you would see it on a restaurant menu unless you are going to a particular type of restaurant in a Asian area. According to my husband , congee ( or _juk_/_jook_) is the Chinese equivalent of grits/cream of wheat/oatmeal and just like you wouldn’t find those cereals in most American restaurants. you won’t find congee in most Chinese restaurants. > [@kayaker](#): > > The first and only place I’ve ever seen congee was on a cruise ship. Every morning at breakfast there’d be a line of Chinese people getting their congee. One morning I got in line with them and tried it. I was underwhelmed. That’s the only place I’ve actually seen it as well. The availability seems to depend on the usual breakdown of the customers. We were once on a cruise where there was no congee on the buffet, and when my husband asked, he was told there wasn’t any for the guests (implying that it was available for the crew). We later realized that that was the only cruise we had taken from Miami ( the others were from Seattle and NYC) and that cruise had far fewer Asian guests than the others. ---
**Author:** ![wjChia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wjChia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wjChia)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/17 "2022-02-16T16:25:48Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > preserved salty fish dried anchovies? (ikan bilis) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/18 "2022-02-16T16:46:08Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > …Chinese equivalent of grits/cream of wheat/oatmeal and just like you wouldn’t find those cereals in most American restaurants… Oatmeal is kind of having A Moment. But I get what you mean. I’m dying to try out the “porridge” button on my IP. But I don’t want chicken in my congee. I’m chickened out (as it were). Maybe just veggies. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/19 "2022-02-16T16:57:37Z")
> [@wjChia](#): > > dried anchovies? (ikan bilis) No. I’m a big fan of ikon bills, and the stuff I’m thinking of has a completely different texture - soft, like [preserved radish](https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=preserved+radish&i=grocery&crid=26LZFUC1VOY42&sprefix=preserved+rad%2Cgrocery%2C248&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_13_ts-doa-p). ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2022, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568/20 "2022-02-16T17:04:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Do people ever put fish in it? Shrimp or salmon or pieces of whitefish like cod? At the end when you’re putting in the goodies. Filipinos often add small dried anchovies to their _champorado_, for that salty+sweet combo. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’m dying to try out the “porridge” button on my IP. But I don’t want chicken in my congee. I’m chickened out (as it were). Maybe just veggies. Pickled vegetables are good, especially Asian-style with soy sauce. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-talk-about-congee/959568.md?page=2)