Introduction: There is a folk proverb: Japonica rice makes the most nourishing congee. What is japonica (jīng) rice? Rice is divided into three categories: indica rice, japonica rice, and glutinous rice.
What are the standards for making congee:
1. Cooking congee with raw rice is tastier than making it with pre-cooked rice.
2. Using plump, round rice grains makes the congee cook faster, become softer more easily, and have a better texture.
3. Adding some broth is the little secret to making congee both nutritious and delicious.
4. Congee is a delicacy that is gelatinized at high temperatures, which is the famous Maillard reaction in chemistry.
5. It is best to use new rice to make congee, and the ingredients should be even fresher; otherwise, the congee cannot be considered truly fresh and savory.
What kind of congee is best to drink:
There is a folk proverb: Japonica rice makes the most nourishing congee. What is japonica (jīng) rice? Rice is divided into three categories: indica rice, japonica rice, and glutinous rice. Indica rice is made from non-glutinous indica paddy, and its grains are generally long elliptical or slender. Depending on the harvesting season of the indica rice, it is divided into early indica rice and late indica rice. Glutinous rice is made from glutinous paddy, it is milky white, opaque, and sometimes semi-translucent with high stickiness. Japonica rice is made from non-glutinous japonica paddy, and its grains are generally oval-shaped.
Japonica rice has a mild, sweet taste and a neutral nature. It can be eaten daily without ever tiring of it, making it the number one nourishing food in the world. Japonica rice is rich in various nutrients such as starch, protein, fat, cellulose, vitamins A, E, B1, and also calcium, phosphorus, iron, etc. It has effects such as strengthening the spleen and nourishing the stomach, replenishing qi in the middle jiao, strengthening bones and muscles, promoting muscle growth, unblocking blood lipids and benefiting the five internal organs, and stopping diarrhea and dysentery due to deficiency-cold.
A congee made with rice and millet in a 2:1 ratio is the easiest to digest. This combination is very reasonable: rice is easy to digest and harmonizes to nourish the stomach, while millet is nutritious and moistens the organs. Healthy people can drink congee to maintain their health. When congee is paired with other foods, it can gain many new functions, which vary according to the time and place of the individual.