Congee with Chinese Medicine and Herbs
The History of Medicine and Congee
China is one of the ancient civilizations of the world, and it is also home to some of the best food on Earth. China has 4,000 years of recorded history, and throughout those millennia one can find the trace of congee throughout. The earliest written mention of congee can be found in the Book of Zhou, written during the Tang dynasty, which states that the Yellow Emperor made congee out of grain. 4,000 years ago, congee was primarily a food, but starting 2,500 years ago, it began to be used in medicine. According to the annals of the legendary doctor Bian Que in Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian, the famous Western Han physician Chunyu Yi used congee to treat the King of Qi. In his treatise On Cold Damage, the famous Eastern Han doctor Zhang Zhongjing wrote "Consuming cinnamon twig decoction with hot, watery congee enhances the medicinal effect" – which is another example of congee being used in medicine. It is evident that congee and Chinese medicinal herbs share a long history.
Chinese Congee Culture
During the middle ages, the combined use of congee as both a food and in medicine increased, and it became equated with staying healthy. The Song dynasty writer Su Donpo once wrote that when his hunger kept him up at night, Wu Ziye urged him to eat plain congee, claiming that it would enhance his metabolism and sooth his stomach. He asserted that the effects of eating congee were miraculous and could be felt quickly. The famous Southern Song poet Lu You also once wrote a poem about congee: "All men crave immortality / Not knowing that its secret is right in front of them / My method is simple / Eating congee will bring me eternal life". The works of these writers elevated congee to a new level in the minds of the people. As can be seen, the relationship between Chinese people and congee is much like the food itself: dense and sticky – and they help each other flourish. The Chinese people's love of congee – as a traditional food – exceeds that of any other people on the planet.
A Southern Cantonese Song about Medicinal Congee
This song reflects the unadorned feelings of the common people toward congee.
要想皮肤好，粥里加红枣。
若要不失眠，煮粥添白莲。
心虚气不足，粥加桂圃肉。
消暑解热毒，常食绿豆粥。
乌发又补肾，粥加核桃仁。
梦多又健忘，粥里加蛋黄。
For fair skin,
Cook congee with dates.
For undisturbed sleep,
Add white lotus to congee.
To treat heart vacuity,
Boil congee with dragon eye fruit.
To dispel heat,
Often eat mung bean congee.
To rid white hair and strengthen kidney,
Add walnut kernel to congee.
For a stronger memory,
Cook congee with egg yolk.
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