Seafood Congee
Cantonese congee is well-known all over China and the world, and it occupies an especially important status in Cantonese cuisine. The varieties of Cantonese congee are immense. It is nutritious yet easy to digest, and one could have it every day and never grow tired of it. This all makes up the irresistible allure of Cantonese congee.
No matter where one hails from, anybody who comes to Guangdong has to try a bowl of steaming hot, fragrant congee. It is a euphoric experience that one never forgets.
The Difference between Congee in North and South China
Congee gets a lot of mileage out of just water and rice. In China, congee differs greatly between the north and south. To go along with their straightforward character, Northerners prefer cornmeal congee, millet congee, rice congee, or Laba congee. In the north, congee is seen as a staple food, and its primary goal is to be as filling as possible.
Meanwhile, Southerners, known for their astuteness, have a more refined diet. For them, the ingredients added to congee and soup are more important than the broth. In the south, Cantonese congee is most famous, and there are countless congee recipes. In coastal northern areas, seafood is usually reserved for making main courses. In the south, however, chefs add all kinds of seafood and flavors into Cantonese dim sum and congee. Some of the more famous varieties of seafood congee include clam congee, crab congee, scallop congee, abalone congee, and Sampan congee.
If you ever come to southern Guangdong, remember to seek out a bowl of authentic congee either in the main street restaurants or the back alleys food stands. For contained within this bowl of congee is the essence of Cantonese cuisine.
