Wellness Foods for Everyday Health:
Congee (Herbal Rice Soup or "Jook")
by Dr. Wally Mui, Ph.D., Dr.TCM, R.Ac.
Introduction
Herbal Congee in TCM history is 2 to 3 thousand years old in
the records from Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor). Herbs
can expel pathogenic factors ("Xie Qi") and the food
follows up with nutrients. Also rice, meat, fruit and vegetables
are good for food cure and nutrients.
Use white rice or sticky rice with herbs, vegetables, nuts or
meat and boil with enough water to give a soft, porridge-like
consistency (Chinese call this Yao Zhou, Xi Fan). This kind of
Congee can prevent diseases or be taken in the recovery stage
after illness when nutritional food is especially important. In
TCM food therapy, the first concept is to be easy on the stomach
and secondly to consider the nutrient aspect. Congee is the most
easy way for the stomach to digest food and supply the body with
nutrients.
For instance, dry ginger is warming to the middle Stomach without
tonification and is suitable for internal Cold syndromes. The
white rice or sticky rice can tonify Spleen and Qi without a warming
action. If we combine dry ginger (5g) with white rice (30g) plus
water (400 ml) to make Congee, it can be used as a food cure to
warm the middle plus tonify the Spleen and Stomach to treat Spleen
and Stomach deficiency-Cold syndromes. Therefore the herbal Congee
uses herbs and rice together to assist each other.
Congee for Prevention and Wellness
From ancient practice, records mention that Congee has a perfect
effect. From the Tang Dynasty, Sun Si Miao’s "1000
Golden Formulas" mentions how rice husk Congee can prevent
the Jiao Qi (edema on the feet). From the Ming Dynasty, Dr.
Li Shi Zhen's materica medica mentions how carrot rice Congee
can prevent hypertension. The book "Food Cure Therapy"
mentions that eating corn powder rice Congee on a regular basis
can prevent cardiac disorders. More recently, Yi Yi Ren Congee
has been used for prevention against disease, as the herb functions
to help the body raise the vital energy to strengthen and balance
the immune system.
Congee food cures can be used as a support therapy for acute
disorders.
Congee can be used to help the body recover and balance itself
after suffering illness or after labor for women.
Congee can be used for self-body regulating and balancing when
suffering from chronic disorders.
Attention:
• Congee characteristics are that it is easy to make, easy
to intake, and gives a good result. It should be eaten fresh after
cooking within 1-3 hours in order to avoid the rice, herbs, and
water from separating or changing the
quality which would reduce the beneficial effects.
• Congee should not sit for a long period of time or be
eaten cold.
• Congee recipes should be selected under a Dr.TCM's or
TCM Practitioner's advice and guidance.
• Congee recipes should be selected according to the following:
a. TCM Syndrome Diagnosis
b. season and geographic area
c. course of the treatment plan
d. boiling method and pot to select (clay earthenware or non-metallic
pot are best to use)
Common Recipes: Vegetable Congee
Spinach Congee
Action: nourishing blood, stop bleeding, harmonize blood.
Indications: anemia, nose bleeding, bloody stools, blood disorders,
constipation
Ingredients:
• Fresh spinach with root 100-150 g
• White Rice 100 g
• water 800 ml
Boil until well soft and sticky, eat in the morning and at night.
Modern research proves that this Congee helps to treat chronic
anemia, vitamin deficiency, and blood disorders.
Others:
Celery Congee
Fungus Congee
Chinese Green Congee
Fresh Ginger Congee
Onion Stock Congee
Fresh Leek Congee
White Radish (Daikon) Congee
Seaweed Congee
Taro Congee
Chive Congee
Chinese Cilantro Congee
Sea Cucumber Congee
Winter melon Congee
Yam Congee
Common Recipes: Bean Congee
Soy Milk Congee
Flat Bean Congee
Mung Bean Congee
Adzuki Bean Congee
Black Bean Congee
Green Bean Congee
Common Recipes: Meat Congee
Beef Congee
Egg Flower Congee
Milk Congee
Lamb Meat Congee
Chicken Juice Congee (whole chicken)
E Jiao Congee
Dry Shrimp Congee
Mussel Congee
Bai Zhu Pork Stomach Congee
Duck Juice Congee
Pork Spine Congee
Pork, Beef, Lamb Liver Congee
Common Recipes: Flower Herbal Congee
Rose Congee
Chyrsanthmen Congee
Jin Yin Hua Congee
He Huan Hua Congee
Common Recipes: Mineral Herbal Congee
Gypsum Congee
Slippery Stone Congee
Abalone Shell Congee
Long Gu Congee
Common Recipes: Plant Herbal Congee
Ren Shen Congee
Huang Qi Congee
Qian Shi Congee
shu Di Con Gee
Shan Zhu Yu Congee
Huang Jing Congee
Shan Yao Congee
Ye Jiao teng Cogee
Dang Gui Congee
Yu zhu Con Gee
He Shou Wu Congee
Sha Shen Congee
suan zao Ren congee
Rou Gui Congee
Dan Shen Congee
Yi Mu Cao Congee
Ge Gen Powder Congee
Pu Gong Ying Con Gee
Mao Gen Congee
Niu Bang Zi Congee
Fu Ling Congee
Yi Yi Ren Con Gee
Ze Xie congee
Che Qian Zi Congee
Lai Fu Zi Congee
Fu Shou Gan Congee
Xing Ren Congee
Tian Hua Fen Congee
Fu Xiao Mai Congee
Bia Xu Congee
Yin Chen Congee
Pi Pa Ye Congee
Bei Mu Congee
Shen Xian Congee
Zhi Zi Congee
Bai Zi Ren Congee
Tu Si Zi Congee
Dang Shen Congee
Jue Ming Zi Congee
Tao Ren Congee
Sang Bai Pi Congee
Su Zi Congee
Yu Li Ren Con Gee
Common Recipes: Dry Nuts Congee and
Others
Walnut Congee
Lotus Congee
Long Yan Congee
Da Zao Congee
Gou Qi Zi Congee
Sesame Congee
Carrot Congee
Corn Powder Congee
Lotus Seed Congee
Li Zhi Congee
Bai He Congee
Pepper Congee
Shan Zha Congee
Tea Congee
Peanut Congee
Bai Guo Congee
Ma Ti Congee
Papaya Congee
Tonify Qi Congee
Common Disorders by Congee Treatment
• High Blood Pressure
• Cardiac Disorder
• High Cholesterol
• Common Cold
• Chronic Bronchitis
• TB
• Chronic Stomach Intestine Disorders
• Acute Diarrhea or Chronic Diarrhea
• Chronic Constipation
• Mental Depression, Insomnia
• Diabetes
• Water Oedema
• Sweat Condition
• Chronic Hepatitis
• Boils
• Hair Lost
• Restless Foetus
• Wind Damp Pain
• Difficult Urine
• Irregular Menses or Painful Menses
• Kidney Deficiency Lumbago
• Impotence
• Tiredness
• Anaemic
• Bleeding Disorders
• Low Blood Plate Count
• Foot Oedema |
