Congee - Longevity Food for Life

Congee ‑ creamy rice soup ‑ is a nourishing and easily assimilated food and constitutes an ideal meal for patients with digestive difficulties or qi and blood deficiency. It is, however, very different from contemporary Western foods, and because few enticing cooking instructions are available it can be difficult to get patients to follow advice to eat it. This article gives an introduction to the use of congee in the diet, a recap of the functions of the digestive system and clear instructions for congee preparation. A handout designed for patients with congee recipes and a tick list for additions can be downloaded from the author’s website.