Other than wanting to introduce the South African traveller to Hong Kong to a Hong Kong national dish, I also want to tell the Saffa-expat here in Hong Kong how to enjoy this dish in a most South African way.
First of all, let me introduce you to congee courtesy of WikiPedia:
Rice congee (pronounced kɒndʒi or kon-jee) is a type of rice porridge that is eaten in many Asian countries.
In some cultures, congee is eaten primarily as a breakfast food or late supper; while in others, it is eaten as a substitute for rice at other meals.
Congee can be made in a pot or in a rice cooker. Some rice cookers even have a “congee” setting, allowing the user to cook their breakfast congee overnight.
There are many regional variations of Chinese congees (called zhou in Mandarin Chinese). For example, to make Cantonese congee, white rice is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly viscous white porridge.
It is often eaten with zha cai, salted duck eggs, lettuce and dace paste, bamboo shoots, youtiao, rousong, pickled tofu, wheat gluten, with other condiments, meat or century eggs. Other seasonings, such as white pepper and soy sauce, may be added. Alternatively, grilled fish may be mixed in to provide a different texture.
Congee is often eaten with fried bread sticks known as youtiao. Congee with youtiao is commonly eaten as breakfast in many areas in China.
Youtiao from my favourite Congee shop in Whampoa Garden (Pic. Mike Jansen)
Congee can be left watery or can be drained so that it has a texture similar to Western oatmeal porridge. Congee can also be made from brown rice, although this is less common and takes longer to cook.
Congee can also be made from other grains, like cornmeal, millet, barley, and sorghum. These are common in the north of China, where rice does not grow as well as other grains suited for a colder climate. Multigrain congee mixes are popularly sold in the health food sections of Chinese supermarkets. Congee with mung beans is usually eaten with sugar, just like red bean congee.
Congee for South Africans
I always buy congee made from cornmeal from my local congee shop in nearby Whampoa Garden. The congee there is cooked in two varieties, white and yellow in big, catering-size cookers. The staff there used to be flabbergasted at me asking for congee without all the trimmings, like green onion, youtiao, soy, sugar, etc. but they are used to me and my order by now.
Plain congee: Mielie Pap South African-style. (Pic: Mike Jansen)
I add it to our breakfast menu much like we used to have Mielie Pap back home. All I add is some sugar and butter for taste. You could even add some stick cinnamon for taste when you re-heat it. My daughter prefers adding some milk as well.
So, for a taste of home, buy some Congee from your local breakfast stall, but “train” them into your preferences.
Like they say back home these days… it’s Ayoba!
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