Chicken Congee
Authentic Cantonese congee usually has pickled ingredients added to it while it is being made, allowing their flavor to completely permeate the congee, and is cooked on a low heat for a delicate mouthfeel that satisfies the palate. And here at Unfamiliar China, we're hungry for a taste of some of Guangdong's finest congee. So after heated debate between the editorial team and our culinary experts, we've come up with 9 types of classic chicken congee and we're giving you an exclusive look at these delicious secret recipes. You won't need to splash out on a flight to Hong Kong to get an authentic and delicious taste of the region.
Congee is Known Far and Wide
Following China's opening up of markets and connection to the world, Chinese congee culture has spread throughout the world to great acclaim. Seoul's Songjuk Congee House is known the world over. Although the shopfront is old, it's always teeming with customers. A bowl of oyster and mushroom congee costs 6000 won (USD 5.65), vegetable congee costs 5000 won (USD 4.70), while abalone congee will set you back 12,000 won (USD 11.20). Just for the congee alone, the restaurant gets through over 300 eggs a day. In recent years, congee has also become popular in Japan. In the past, the Japanese only ate congee when they were ill, but now, congee has become an ideal health food. Many women see it as the perfect midnight stack or breakfast staple, and vacuum-packed congee is a best seller on supermarket shelves.
Nowadays, even though McDonald's is a major player in the fast food market, it has had to give in to the popular will within China and sell congee in its American-style restaurants.
All the same, congee is still beloved by Chinese people. For the millions of Chinese living abroad, a bowl of congee is a taste of home.
Cantonese Congee – The King of All Chinese Rice Porridge
Cantonese people have brought congee culture to its pinnacle. Perhaps because of the sub-tropical climate of the southern Guangdong region, Cantonese people have always loved congee, and have used it to rehydrate and supplement nutrition. Cantonese people have a plethora of culinary and medicinal congee recipes, and each demands a level of meticulousness in making it that is enough to make one gasp in amazement.
The delicious chicken congee recipes listed above are fine examples of such profound Cantonese culinary art. Some of them, such as ginseng and chicken congee, strikes a perfect balance between Chinese medicine and lean chicken flavor. Recipes like abalone and spring chicken congee combine the rich chicken flavor with unique seafood ingredients. Shredded chicken and lotus seed congee is another one of our favorites, mixing chicken with nutty lotus seeds in a fine and smooth congee broth, boiled in a traditional clay pot till perfection.
