Before
the western style bakeries and American cereal boxes got popular,
congee was definitely one of the breakfast staples in Taiwan. Not
only did I grow up having it for breakfast regularly, but whenever my
tummy was not well or when I got a cold, my mom would also make it
for me. It can soothe the stomach and is easy to digest. Moreover,
you can make it in your rice cooker without having to do much work!
In fact, the congee recipe I made last year - Chinese Cabbage, Tomato, and Shiitake Congee, was something I made throughout a terrible flu! Since
it's the cold season, I decided to do a new type of congee whose key
ingredients are pumpkin and shan yao (山藥).
Shan Yao is also called huai shan (淮山).
It's a type of wild Chinese yam, that is very nourishing. It can be
used to aide digestion, relieve a cough, boost the immune system,
lower high blood pressure, and tonify the kidneys, among other
things. In this recipe, I used puréed pumpkin, instead of
pumpkin pieces, which gives a thick and creamy texture, as well as a
beautiful orange fall colour! Make this congee when you're feeling a
bit under the weather or when you need an easy, warming nutritious
bowl!
