{"id":5557,"date":"2023-09-27T13:22:58","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T21:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/?p=5557"},"modified":"2025-02-25T10:44:16","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T18:44:16","slug":"congee-in-tcm-how-a-simple-breakfast-superfood-supports-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.activeherb.com\/blog\/congee-in-tcm-how-a-simple-breakfast-superfood-supports-health.html","title":{"rendered":"Congee in TCM \u2014 How A Simple Breakfast Superfood Supports Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Plain congee has the appearance and consistency of medieval peasant gruel. It makes oatmeal seem gourmet in comparison. At first glance, congee\u2019s blandness and simplicity of ingredients are the antithesis of a breakfast superfood like an a\u00e7ai bowl or protein smoothie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for over 4,000 years, congee has been a staple in China, and approximately 2,000 years ago, it started being used medicinally. So why is this bland rice porridge considered so healthy in TCM? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Congee? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, congee is rice porridge, a fundamental concoction of two ingredients: white rice and boiled water, lots of water, usually much more water than what\u2019s used in oatmeal and non-porridge rice. As with any dish, you can get as creative as you want, adding an infinite number of ingredients. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a doctor may prescribe congee mixed with certain medicinal ingredients that are commonly used as food in China<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the West, so-called diet experts and health bloggers view rice as a dirty four-letter word. Eating white rice makes you fat, the thinking goes in the Western health blogosphere. However, in the Orient, rice is symbolic of fertility and life. In TCM, plain white, super starchy rice is considered easy for the system to digest and provides energy. (Never mind that in Japan, it\u2019s used to fatten Sumo wrestlers; they still need quick bursts of energy to do their thing in the ring.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, water serves as congee\u2019s base, providing hydration and the porridge-like consistency that Goldilocks loves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Congee Used For In TCM? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Again, congee can be combined with virtually any combination of medicinal herbs and other nutritive ingredients. But even basic congee, according to TCM theory, helps harmonize bodily energy. This especially includes Qi (vital energy) and the branch of Qi, Yin, which controls the Blood, fluids, bones, Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lungs and Kidney organ systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCongee detoxes\u201d haven\u2019t yet caught on as a health trend in the West. But in China, rice porridge helps support detoxification and cleansing by eliminating accumulated toxins and waste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCongee detoxes\u201d haven\u2019t yet caught on as a health trend in the West. But in China, rice porridge helps support detoxification and cleansing by eliminating accumulated toxins and waste. \u00a0\u00a0<\/div>\n\n\n\n

One of the easiest ways to \u201celevate your congee\u201d experience is by adding single herb extract granules<\/a>. For instance, to further support eliminating Phlegm and Dampness in the body, you can add specific herbal extract granules such as dandelion<\/a> and burdock<\/a>. By supporting the elimination of excess heat (which gives rise to Dampness and eventually Phlegm), the congee and auxiliary herbs may improve your skin from the inside out<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Millions of people have chronic digestive problems. Congee soothes the stomach, which is why it\u2019s prescribed by TCM doctors when Spleen Qi is deficient. A deficiency of Qi in the Spleen channel produces weak digestion. Weak digestion and the accompanying Spleen Qi deficiency can also occur from illnesses, giving birth, being overworked, and other forms of stress. Who would have thought that a simple bowl of rice porridge would be just what the doctor ordered?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to strengthen your digestion and replenish Spleen Qi, combine herbs like ginger<\/a> or licorice root<\/a> with congee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, congee may be easier to digest for those who have difficulty swallowing<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s doubtful that congee will one day supplant chicken soup in Western households. However, if you want to support your immune system, combine congee with immune-supporting herbs such as astragalus root<\/a> and codonopsis root<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Make Congee in TCM?  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you start going crazy with congee experimentation, learn the basics. To make a simple bowl of congee, you\u2019ll need just 3 ingredients:<\/p>\n\n\n\n