Congee's Global Flavours
Humble rice porridge comes in various iterations around the world
What dish is a hug in a bowl?
For me it's congee, rice porridge that takes hours to make and must be made with care by stirring it constantly otherwise it burns at the bottom of the pot.
When it's been simmering for a long time, the rice has broken down and the soupy mixture is thick and almost creamy in texture.
Bland homemade congee with a bit of salt is a good remedy for upset stomach, or dress it up with pickled cucumbers, pork floss, or chopped bits of pork, chicken or beef.
While one might assume only the Cantonese make good congee, it's not true! Non-Chinese chefs make some tasty gourmet versions.
In Hong Kong, the Argentinian chef Agustin Balbi of the Michelin-starred Ando has a dish on his set menu called arroz caldoso, or rice. The traditional Spanish dish reminds him of his grandmother, a soupy rice that has flavours that are beautifully melded together.
And in Vancouver, chef Andrea Carlson of Michelin-starred Burdock & Co. has her own version of congee. We had some today at Harvest Community Foods, her small grocery store that serves a limited menu on the edge of Chinatown. Carlson's version is flavoured with a stock made from dashi that is incorporated with rice, and flavoured with chicken, ginger, thinly sliced scallop and spot prawns.
The savoury combination was so delicious that we couldn't stop eating it, and it was perfect for today's showery weather that led to slightly cooler temperatures.
The first time I had congee at Burdock & Co. was three years ago, flavoured with pine mushrooms, some cooked and some thinly shaved raw. So memorable!
When I traveled to South and West mainland China, I was looking around for breakfast 粥 zhou like you can buy in a can in Beijing but when I asked for it I got blank stares.
I subsequently discovered that down south they called it 稀饭 xifan instead.