The Comforting Taste of Rice Porridge - Henderson Edition
2024.11.9
by Angie Lei
Chinese Cuisine
Everyone has at least one food evokes a sense of comfort, something warms the soul and reminds them of a fond memory. To me, it is rice porridge, or zhōu (粥). Rice porridge is a common breakfast food across China. It is also the go to food for when someone is sick, its flavors tend to be mellow and easy on the stomach. Zhou is fundamentally just rice cooked for an extended period of time with a sprinkle of salt. In its basic form, the dish does not have much flavor. Due to this simplicity, rice porridge can be sweet or savory. Many regions in China have taken this simple nostalgic food and infused its local flavors.
The earliest record of Rice porridge dates back to over 2,000 years ago in the Zhou Dynasty of Ancient China. However, it has likely existed in some form before then. During the Zhou Dynasty, rice was considered a luxury and food only for the rich. The concept of mixing rice with water emerged as a way to turn a small amount of rice into a full meal.
Rice porridge is a staple Chinese breakfast due to its ability to absorb the flavor of any ingredient added and is extremely easy to prepare. Lots of homemade rice porridge is made with overnight leftovers. This is not only an effective but also a delicious way to utilize overnight food. It is also commonly served with steamed plain bread (Mántóu/馒头) or Chinese doughnut sticks (Youtiao/油条).
Some savory Zhou I recommend are:
Preserved Egg and Pork Rice Porridge (皮蛋瘦肉粥, pídàn shòu ròu zhōu) (highly recommend)
Chicken Rice Porridge (鸡肉粥, jīròu zhōu)
Fish Rice Porridge (鱼片粥, yú piàn zhōu)
I recommend adding freshly chopped green onions and ground white pepper for more flavor!
Some sweet Zhou I recommend are:
Red Bean Rice Porridge (红豆粥, hóng dòu zhōu)
Taro Rice Porridge (芋头粥, yù tóu zhōu)
Black Sesame Rice Porridge (黑芝麻粥, hēi zhī má zhōu)
Zhou can be found in most Chinese restaurants, particularly Cantonese restaurants. I hope you visit a local Cantonese restaurant and try some rice porridge!
1stHendersonGuide.com
We List Only the Best
1st Henderson Guide is not a list of every business. Our website highlights only the best businesses / places / events are featured within these pages. This makes Henderson even more magical for residents and visitors alike.
Advertise Your Company
You can be seen by a high quality audience when you place an advertisement on 1st Henderson Guide. Not all companies are accepted… Call 702-445-9488 to be have your company seen by affluent buyers. You will be amazed how with the low price.
1st City Guide Expansion
1stCityGuide.com is the parent company of 225+ city guides worldwide. We are expanding and looking for Licensee partners to work together and provide a quality income when sharing the secrets of great cities around the world with visitors and residents alike. Call 702-210-4201 to discuss pricing and city guide availabilities.