The Congee Chronicles

[liuzhou]

1 hour ago, MokaPot said:

My family uses short-grain, white rice. Other people can chime in with what they use.

 

You can use any type of rice. I prefer long grain. Usually Thai jasmine rice. In fact, as I've shown many congees don't even use rice at all.

 

[liuzhou]

One more.

 

 

 

圣宝黑米粥 (shèng bǎo hēi mǐ zhōu) - Holy treasure black rice congee.

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[MetsFan5]

Oh. Maybe I can use jasmine. 

[liuzhou]

Congee with pickled mustard plant stem and plum blossom pastries, a simple home-cooked breakfast

[MetsFan5]

I’m tempted to use the Mama noodle “oil” packet and flavor packet to boil the rice in.  I really like the Nisheki rice. I really want to try making onigiri since I used to make it often when I was a teen. Plus, yum!

  Hmm. I think I have dried nori sheets in the pantry. A good super late night snack.  

[BeeZee]

I have never had congee, I do have access to a H-Mart for Asian pickles, what are some of the most common/popular types?

[liuzhou]

22 minutes ago, BeeZee said:

I have never had congee, I do have access to a H-Mart for Asian pickles, what are some of the most common/popular types?

 

Where to begin. Make a list of every vegetable you've ever heard of, add some fruits, then pickle them! A very strange and error-ridden Wikinonsense article suggests there are over 130 types. Yeah! A lot more, I'd say.

Common: lotus root, daikon radish, onions, carrot, cucumber, ginger, garlic, apple, bitter melon, cabbage, various squashes, tofu .....

When I next get back to where I took the picture of the pickle selection I'll try to identify what they all were. It was lunchtime when I passed and didn't want to disturb the diners too much. I'll go earlier in the day when it might be empty.

Edited November 2, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[weinoo]

6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

You can use any type of rice. I prefer long grain. Usually Thai jasmine rice. In fact, as I've shown many congees don't even use rice at all.

 

The jasmine rice certainly makes a nice scent in the kitchen!  I really ought to try to get that broken rice again.

[donk79]

9 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Some more premixed congee ingredients.

 

 

冰粥 (bīng zhōu) - Ice Congee. As the name suggests, this is served cold, often with added fruit. popular in Vietnam, too.

 

 

核桃红枣莲子粥 (hé táo hóng zǎo lián zi zhōu) - walnut, red jujube and lotus seed congee.

 

 

绿豆百合粥 (lǜ dòu bǎi hé zhōu) - Green mung bean, lily seed congee.

 

 

荞麦莲子粥 (qiáo mài lián zi zhōu) - buckwheat and lotus seed congee.

 

 

八宝粥  (bā bǎo zhōu) - Eight treasure congee. This is very popular. The eight treasures vary (and may not even be just eight) but include peanuts,, red jujubes, mung beans, red beans, corn, dried longan, walnut, Job's tears, millet, white kidney beans, lotus seeds and many more.

Lizhou, I am not completely certain how eye catching these mixes are in person, but I find your pictures of them to be quite stunning!

 

[BeeZee]

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

When I next get back to where I took the picture of the pickle selection I'll try to identify what they all were. It was lunchtime when I passed and didn't want to disturb the diners too much. I'll go earlier in the day when it might be empty.

That would be outstanding, I'm so curious about what they all were! I'm assuming pickle profiles can be sour (not spicy), less sour (fruit based), or more spicy?

[liuzhou]

11 hours ago, BeeZee said:

I'm assuming pickle profiles can be sour (not spicy), less sour (fruit based), or more spicy?

 

Round here, most are sour and spicy, the local preference. In other areas they are less or not spicy.

[liuzhou]

Here is a closer look at the 八宝粥 (eight treasure congee mix) I mentioned yesterday.

 

[liuzhou]

12 hours ago, donk79 said:

Lizhou, I am not completely certain how eye catching these mixes are in person, but I find your pictures of them to be quite stunning!

 

They do look better before they are cooked! But inedible!

[Eatmywords]

23 hours ago, donk79 said:

Lizhou, I am not completely certain how eye catching these mixes are in person, but I find your pictures of them to be quite stunning!

Agree, love the pics.  Could see them blown up, hanging on a kitchen wall, a modern one. 

 

I do wonder about the varying cook times of the beans vs the rice in the mixture.  Dry kidneys can take 2hrs vs the rice, about 20min?  Does the rice get cooked that long or do they do something to the beans to cook faster? 

[liuzhou]

46 minutes ago, Eatmywords said:

Agree, love the pics.  Could see them blown up, hanging on a kitchen wall, a modern one. 

 

I do wonder about the varying cook times of the beans vs the rice in the mixture.  Dry kidneys can take 2hrs vs the rice, about 20min?  Does the rice get cooked that long or do they do something to the beans to cook faster? 

 

Everything is cooked together. Yes, the beans take a while and the rice is "overcooked" compared to rice used as an accompaniment to most dishes, but it that overcooked rice that provides the desired porridgy texture. Note however that black, red, brown rice etc. take more than the 20 minutes of regular white rice.

 

Pressure cookers are often used. In fact, most modern, Chinese pressure cookers / IP clones have a marked congee setting.

 

[dcarch]

There is a restaurant here in downtown NYC where only congee is served.

My favorite is the one with a type of dried fish, (not salted fish) and peanuts. Very simple classic oldie recipe, but very satisfying. Must eat with deep fried doughnut sticks  (YOUTIAO?).

 

dcarch

 

 

[liuzhou]

On 11/4/2020 at 12:58 AM, dcarch said:

There is a restaurant here in downtown NYC where only congee is served.

My favorite is the one with a type of dried fish, (not salted fish) and peanuts. Very simple classic oldie recipe, but very satisfying. Must eat with deep fried doughnut sticks  (YOUTIAO?).

 

dcarch

 

 

 

While 油条 (yóu tiáo) is a popular breakfast item, I've never seen it served with congee here. It is eaten as an item in itself, usually with warm soya milk.

 

Edited March 19 by liuzhou (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

12 hours ago, liuzhou said:

 

Everything is cooked together. Yes, the beans take a while and the rice is "overcooked" compared to rice used as an accompaniment to most dishes, but it that overcooked rice that provides the desired porridgy texture. Note however that black, red, brown rice etc. take more than the 20 minutes of regular white rice.

 

Pressure cookers are often used. In fact, most modern, Chinese pressure cookers / IP clones have a marked congee setting.

 

 

My Zojirushi pressure rice cooker has a porridge setting.  I have never tried it.  I am now considering.

 

[liuzhou]

Two more mixes.

 

十米粥 (shí mǐ zhōu) - 10 Rice Congee

 

黑宝粥 (hēi bǎo zhōu) - Black Treasure Congee

 

[dcarch]

14 hours ago, liuzhou said:

While 油条 (yóu tiáo) is a popular breakfast item, I've never seen it served with congee. It is eaten as an item in itself, usually with warm soya milk.

 

I have not been to the entire China, Japan, Korea, vietnam, etc. I am sure there are many areas where congee is not served with youtiao, but according to some WEB information,:

 

"Yóu Tiáo (Chinese: 油条), also known as Chinese cruller, oil stick, doughnut, and breadstick, is a trip of fried dough that is typically eaten for breakfast. It usually is served as an accompaniment with rice congee, soy milk, or tofu soup where they are either served whole to be dipped into the liquid or cut into smaller pieces to be sprinkled on top. "

 

dcarch

[Beebs]

@dcarch Congee + you tiao might be Hong Kong style. You can get it with cut up you tiao in the cha chaan teng (HK diner/cafe) or with dim sum here in Vancouver. You can also have the you tiao served along side. I love it this way - preserved egg & salty pork congee with you tiao dipped in. That's some great carb-on-carb action!

 

@liuzhou Those are gorgeous congee mix photos!

[dcarch]

15 minutes ago, Beebs said:

@dcarch Congee + you tiao might be Hong Kong style. You can get it with cut up you tiao in the cha chaan teng (HK diner/cafe) or with dim sum here in Vancouver. You can also have the you tiao served along side. I love it this way - preserved egg & salty pork congee with you tiao dipped in. That's some great carb-on-carb action!

 

I take friends to congee places because they are gluten sensitive. I get to eat their  youtiao. LOL.

 

dcarch

[barista]

On 11/2/2020 at 2:05 AM, BeeZee said:

this may sound like a dumb question, but is it possible to make a "sort of" congee using already cooked (leftover) rice?

Yes, in fact the Teochews are known for fish porridge made this way. Cooked rice is boiled in fish stock and fresh sliced fish is blanched and served in the porridge. 

[liuzhou]

Talking of fish congee...

 

I passed one of my favourite local seafood restaurants today and spotted this.

 

 

Shrimp and fish congee. The sign might always have been there and it didn't register till now.

 

[Dejah]

We love you tiao with congee, along with an assortment of preserved egg, spicy radish. fuyu, pork floss, peanuts, green onion, etc etc.

But when we were travelling around China, you tiao was not among the "condiments"offered.

I only tried to make you tiao once ( in my former restaurant) and was not as successful as commercial ones. I can get them readily here in our supermarket and keep a bag in the freezer. They warm up nicely in the oven.