A type of rice porridge popular in Asian cuisine, made by boiling rice in water until it breaks down into a creamy consistency.
From Tamil 'kanji' meaning 'boilings,' referring to the water in which rice is boiled. The word traveled through various Asian languages and Portuguese before entering English in the 17th century through colonial trade contacts. Different Asian cultures have their own names for similar rice porridges, but 'congee' became the common English term.
Congee is considered the ultimate comfort food across much of Asia, often served to sick people much like chicken soup in Western cultures. What's fascinating is that this simple dish can be traced back over 4,000 years in Chinese history, making it one of humanity's oldest continuously prepared foods - it's literally ancient comfort food that's still bringing warmth to billions today!
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