Recipes · Sick-Day Food
Ginger Congee (Rice Porridge)
Reader ratingsWhite rice simmered with plenty of water and fresh ginger until it melts into a silky porridge: the soft, soothing food that Chinese and many other Asian families make for anyone feeling unwell. A savory chicken-and-scallion version follows.
Congee has been eaten in China for at least two thousand years as the soft, soothing food for the sick, the elderly and the convalescent, and similar porridges such as Japanese okayu and Korean juk serve the same role.
Safety
- Cooked rice can carry Bacillus cereus spores that survive cooking and multiply at room temperature. Serve the congee hot, chill leftovers within 1 hour, keep them in the refrigerator for no more than 1 day, and reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through.
- Rice takes up more inorganic arsenic from soil and water than most grains, and congee keeps all of its cooking water. A few bowls while you are unwell are not a concern for most people, but for babies and toddlers it is better to vary the grains than to rely on rice.
- Ginger in food amounts is safe for most people, but large amounts can cause heartburn. If you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder or have surgery coming up, ask your clinician. For the savory version, use salt instead of tamari to avoid soy, leave out the egg for an egg allergy, and check that tamari is wheat-free if you avoid gluten.
- Congee is soft food and fluid, but it does not replace oral rehydration solution if you are losing fluid fast (see the Oral Rehydration Solution recipe). Seek care for signs of dehydration, blood in the stool or vomit, severe belly pain, or vomiting or diarrhea that is not improving after a day or two.
Why it’s good for you
Rice cooked in plenty of water becomes a soft, bland, easy-to-swallow food that is also mostly fluid, and fresh ginger adds warmth and flavor without any heavy ingredients.
Evidence
Traditional use
Long history of use; little or no direct research on this preparation.
No study has tested congee itself. The nearest research is on rice-based oral rehydration solutions (rice cooked into a thin drink with salts): a meta-analysis of 13 trials in 1,367 people found they cut stool output by about a third in cholera but by only 18% in children with other acute diarrhea. Ginger, the other key ingredient, eased nausea in a meta-analysis of 12 trials in 1,278 pregnant women, though the evidence quality was low and ginger has not been tested in porridge.
General information from research and traditional use — not medical advice, and not a treatment for any condition. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, check with your clinician first, and seek care for symptoms that are severe or do not improve.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water for about a minute, until the water runs mostly clear. Drain well.
- Combine the rice, water and ginger in a heavy pot of at least 5 quarts, since rice porridge foams and boils over easily. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice so the rice does not stick to the bottom.
- Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, set the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and more often toward the end, until the grains have burst and the porridge is thick and creamy. Add hot water, 1/2 cup at a time, if it gets too thick.
- Season with the salt and serve hot, topped with scallions. Leave the ginger slices in for more warmth, or fish them out.
- For the savory version, stir in the shredded chicken, the tamari and the olive oil and heat for 2 minutes. To add egg instead, stir a beaten egg into the hot porridge and cook, stirring, for about a minute until it is completely set.
Tips
- The classic ratio is 1 cup of rice to 8 to 10 cups of water. Use more water for a thin, drinkable congee when you have little appetite, or less for a thicker porridge. It thickens as it cools, so loosen leftovers with hot water.
- White rice is the traditional choice and is gentler on an upset stomach than brown rice or other whole grains. Whole grains are better for everyday eating, so go back to them as you recover.
- A slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours does the stirring for you. For a ginger drink on the side, see the Ginger, Lemon and Honey Tea.
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