flipCongee with Goji Berries and Jujubes (枸杞红枣粥)
Congee with Goji Berries and Jujubes (枸杞红枣粥)
Why this dish? Warm, light congee is the quintessential comforting breakfast in China, and the reflex of actresses watching their figure before a shoot: nourishing, digestible, without excess. Fan Bingbing, attentive to the principles of 中医, made it the gentle base type for the body that she favored between scenes.
A rice porridge simmered long until silky, dotted with goji berries and red jujubes that sweeten it naturally. Hot, enveloping, almost medicinal.
On set, we shoot fifteen hours straight, and the camera forgives nothing — so in the morning, I always start gently, with a bowl of steaming congee. I let the rice melt on its own, on patient heat, toss in a handful of goji and three jujubes, and that's it: no fat, nothing to weigh down the eyes. My grandmother used to say a calm belly gives a clear face. Believe me, in front of the lens, that's the most precious truth I know.
- •Short-grain white rice — a generous handful (staple starch)
- •Dried goji berries (枸杞) — a small handful (tonic, sweetness)
- •Pitted red jujubes (红枣) — a few (sweetness, "nourishes the blood")
- •Spring water — abundant (cooking)
Congee with Goji Berries and Jujubes (枸杞红枣粥)
A rice porridge simmered long until silky, dotted with goji berries and red jujubes that sweeten it naturally. Hot, enveloping, almost medicinal.
Why this dish? Warm, light congee is the quintessential comforting breakfast in China, and the reflex of actresses watching their figure before a shoot: nourishing, digestible, without excess. Fan Bingbing, attentive to the principles of 中医, made it the gentle base type for the body that she favored between scenes.
On set, we shoot fifteen hours straight, and the camera forgives nothing — so in the morning, I always start gently, with a bowl of steaming congee. I let the rice melt on its own, on patient heat, toss in a handful of goji and three jujubes, and that's it: no fat, nothing to weigh down the eyes. My grandmother used to say a calm belly gives a clear face. Believe me, in front of the lens, that's the most precious truth I know.
Ingredients (period version)
- Short-grain white rice — a generous handful (staple starch)
- Dried goji berries (枸杞) — a small handful (tonic, sweetness)
- Pitted red jujubes (红枣) — a few (sweetness, "nourishes the blood")
- Spring water — abundant (cooking)
Ingredients
- Round rice (sushi rice type) — 100 g (staple starch)
- Water — 1.2 L (cooking)
- Dried goji berries — 2 tbsp (tonic, sweetness)
- Pitted dried red jujubes — 6 (natural sweetness)
- Fresh ginger (optional) — 2 thin slices (warming, aroma)
Method
- Rinse the rice, then put it in a large pot with the water and jujubes (and ginger).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to very low heat.
- Simmer for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a creamy porridge forms where the grains have burst.
- Add the goji berries in the last 5 minutes (they should not become bitter).
- Serve piping hot in a bowl, no added sugar: the jujubes are enough.
How it was made : Congee (粥, zhōu) is a millennia-old pillar of Chinese food, eaten from the imperial palace to the humblest homes. It was cooked for hours on embers; today a pot or pressure cooker suffices. Goji and jujubes are classic additions from 食疗 dietetics.
The contemporary twist : Pour it into a crackle-glaze ceramic bowl and arrange the gojis on the surface in a half-moon: a breakfast as photogenic as a Weibo post.
Fan Bingbing · Charactorium
