Millet and Rice Congee with Fermented Beans
A comforting congee of millet and rice cooked in plenty of water until creamy, enhanced with a pinch of fermented black soybeans and a few herbs. The monastery's staple: few ingredients, much patience.
A comforting congee of millet and rice cooked in plenty of water until creamy, enhanced with a pinch of fermented black soybeans and a few herbs. The monastery's staple: few ingredients, much patience.
Listen, traveler: before the sun rises over Chang'an, I already set the pot on the embers. Millet and rice—let them melt in water until they lose all shape, like the mind that calms. A pinch of black fermented beans, and there is all the flavor needed; we sons of the Buddha touch neither flesh nor fish. Eat slowly, in your bowl, and do not forget to thank the hand that gave you this grain.
- •Hulled millet — one handful (staple grain of northern China)
- •Rice — one handful (creamy binder)
- •Spring water — in abundance (long cooking)
- •Douchi (fermented black soybeans) — a small pinch (umami seasoning)
- •Young scallion — a few sprigs (freshness)
Millet and Rice Congee with Fermented Beans
A comforting congee of millet and rice cooked in plenty of water until creamy, enhanced with a pinch of fermented black soybeans and a few herbs. The monastery's staple: few ingredients, much patience.
Why this dish? Before setting out on the road or copying sutras, Faxian began his day with a clear congee, the humblest and most universal meal of Chinese monks. Long-simmered, it warmed the body without breaking the vegetarian rule.
Listen, traveler: before the sun rises over Chang'an, I already set the pot on the embers. Millet and rice—let them melt in water until they lose all shape, like the mind that calms. A pinch of black fermented beans, and there is all the flavor needed; we sons of the Buddha touch neither flesh nor fish. Eat slowly, in your bowl, and do not forget to thank the hand that gave you this grain.
Ingredients (period version)
- Hulled millet — one handful (staple grain of northern China)
- Rice — one handful (creamy binder)
- Spring water — in abundance (long cooking)
- Douchi (fermented black soybeans) — a small pinch (umami seasoning)
- Young scallion — a few sprigs (freshness)
Ingredients
- Millet — 50 g (grain)
- Short-grain rice — 50 g (binder)
- Water — 1.2 L (cooking)
- Fermented black soybeans (douchi) — 1 tsp, rinsed and chopped (salty umami)
- Scallion (green part) — 2 sprigs, sliced (garnish)
- A few drops of sesame oil — optional (roundness)
Method
- Rinse the millet and rice in clear water.
- Place them in a large pot with cold water and bring to a simmer.
- Cook over low heat for 40–50 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a smooth, creamy congee forms.
- Finely chop the fermented beans and add at the end of cooking to flavor.
- Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with sliced scallion, and if desired, a few drops of sesame oil.
How it was made : Zhōu (grain congee) has been, since Chinese antiquity, the quintessential morning meal, especially in monasteries where frugality is a virtue. It was thinned according to the community's wealth—very liquid in times of scarcity, heartier with vegetables on festive days. Douchi, a soybean ferment attested since the Han, provided salt and depth without recourse to meat.
The contemporary twist : Serve as 'comfort food' in a rustic stoneware bowl, with a soft-boiled egg for non-vegetarians—but the monk's spirit prefers the bare version.
Faxian · Charactorium
