“Really??! This? Comfort food?” I thought.
We all got in line and he scooped out some of the Congee into a cup with a spoon that would stand upright in this thick goop. He wanted each of us to experience one of the food recommendations that will no doubt be part of the Chinese herbal list of remedies for a healthy body.
My classmates were making those yummmmm and hmmmm sounds with their lips and I was making faces and holding my nose. All I could think was I must be from a different planet because this is not comfort food from where I come from.
Here is the recipe for Congee:
- 6 parts water
- 1 part rice (which could be 2/3 cup of rice and 1/3 cup of mungbean)
- You can throw in some protein (like some hard boiled eggs)
- Throw in some shitake mushrooms (because they are especially good for you in the fall, or some onions, garlic, or whatever is in your fridge)
- Cook in a crock-pot for 6+ hours.
- Scoop in a bowl, sprinkle with sea salt and black sesame seeds.
Really? Enjoy?
Seeing how several of the students went back for a second helping I couldn’t think how humans can learn to like any food. If they are desperate. Or maybe it is how students (who are better than I) suck up to the instructor.
However, I also know that a person can learn to tune in and be guided by what the body needs. “Hey, I need some water” the body may say.
Or,
“I could sure use some fresh greens!”
I’m trying to learn to listen to this language my body may be telling me so I can be healthy and wise, but last night all I could hear was a loud voice playing in my head saying “girl, that looks and smells like old wallpaper paste and is NOT what I’m craving today.”
I'm with you! I tried congee when I was in China and I did NOT care for it.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you and I are from the same planet. :-)
ReplyDeleteRice is so bad for raising blood sugar...weird
ReplyDeleteWhole grains are needed by the body to aid digestion. Our instructor said that is why people who go on the Atkins diet have so many digestive problems; they have eliminated whole grains from their diet. Maybe that failure in digestion is affecting their blood sugar?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I think Congee is an acquired taste. :-)
I think you're right...it is an acquired taste (and texture!)
ReplyDeleteI've made it several times for breakfast using rice, walnuts, fresh ginger or cinnamon, da zao...pretty much anything I can imagine tasting good in oatmeal. It isn't the best breakfast ever, but my body definitely feels good when I eat it.
Kyrsten,
ReplyDeleteMy acupuncturist recommended a breakfast each morning of steel cut oatmeal. It took me awhile to get used to this, but I definitely see an improvement in my digestion.
I do like the thought of adding stuff you would usually put in cookie dough (nuts, raisins, ginger). Very clever! I'm sure that would help in the transition of acquiring a taste for the stuff. :-)