Soup · China and across East and Southeast Asia
Congee
Rice simmered until it breaks down into a silky porridge, with ginger and scallions.
About the dish
Congee is rice cooked in a large amount of water or stock until the grains break down into a smooth porridge. It is eaten across China and much of Asia under many names: jook in Cantonese, okayu in Japan, cháo in Vietnam, and lugaw or arroz caldo in the Philippines. It is a common breakfast and the classic food for anyone who is ill.
The ratio of liquid to rice is high, often eight to twelve parts to one, and the pot simmers for an hour or more with regular stirring so the bottom does not catch. As the grains swell and split, their starch thickens the liquid into something silky.
Plain congee is gentle on purpose, a canvas for what goes on top. Fresh ginger and scallions are the most common, often with white pepper, soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil. Richer bowls add shredded chicken, fish, pork, preserved or salted eggs, fried shallots or crisp fried dough sticks for dipping. The toppings bring the salt, savory depth and heat that the rice itself leaves out.
Written from general cooking knowledge, as background on a dish from the game’s recipe book. It is not a tested recipe.
The flavors it leans on
Congee in Night Kitchen
In the game, Congee is a soup in the recipe book. A plate is named Congee when it holds these cards and is cooked with exactly this technique, with at most one extra ingredient.
Ingredients
- Rice
- Ginger
- Scallions
Technique
- Simmer
How those cards taste
Cooked from just these cards for an average ticket, before tonight’s mood and quirks, it would please Dot (2 stars), Odile (2 stars) and Theo (2 stars) most.
“Rice cooked so long it turns to silk, with ginger and scallions. The night nurses swear by it.”
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