The year has passed by hectically, and it is Chinese New Year again. Season follows season, we have been so worn by hundreds of matters, until our heart-energy weakens and declines, our body-constitution tires and drains. It is only all too common. The Way of Chinese Medicine, is certainly most pertinent now. The distinguished Chinese doctor Lu Lei from Shanghai, understood that in order to help more people from far and wide, he could only seek an easy method, a simple prescription. He poured his energy to ruminate, and came up with twenty five congee prescriptions. He titled this article To Feed on Congee to be Immortal. As for congee, it is easy and convenient to cook. As for the ingredients applied to the twenty five prescriptions, each has its benefits, each has its efficacies, and they are mostly cheap and common. If not for the compassionate heart of a traditional scholar, merciful for life, how can these be formulated? Doctor Lu Lei is also a dilettante performer of the K’un-ch’ü Opera. He excelled in both the skill of a medical doctor and the art of an opera singer. A talented man can indeed be talented in all.
Curatorial and Editorial Department
Carrot Congee
The world in all pursues long life,
Not knowing long life is right in front.
I have attained the easy way of Chang Lei,
To feed on congee to be immortal.
This is a poem titled To Feed on Congee by the Sung dynasty poet Lu Yu (陸游 1125-1210). He was an advocate of the benefit of eating congee to attain longevity. His whole life was full of setbacks, the country in his time faced many upheavals, yet he lived till the octagenarian age of eighty six. This is truly rare to achieve in view of the living environment of that era. This may be attributed to his constant attention to health and well being.
Portrait of Lu Yu
According to Huang-ti nei-ching (黃帝內經), human life is sustained by: “Five types of grains for nourishment, five variety of fruits for support, five species of livestock for strength, five categories of vegetables for fulfillment.” The five types of grains are the most basic source of energy that keep the human body active. There is an old saying: “One thrives by receiving grain, one perishes by denying grain.” Among the five grains, rice grows in the mid level plains, receiving sunlight from above and water from below. Its nature is plain, its flavour is savouring, it is foremost amongst other grains. Rice functions to strengthen the middle-warmer, benefit the vital energy, invigorate the spleen, nourish the stomach, moisten the lung, promote the production of body fluid, benefit the essence of life and buttress the will. When it is cooked into a mushy form of congee, the vital energy of water and grain are infused and blended, the nutrients are separated and released, the level of nutrition rises, it is easier to digest and absorb. Hence congee is acclaimed by doctors and those who are health-conscious.
The rice to cook congee can be categorized into new rice and old rice, according to the time of storage. New rice nourishes and moistens, the flavour is tasty, it is refreshing to the mouth and light on the stomach. Old rice strengthens the spleen, nourishes the stomach, removes fidgetiness and quenches thirst. It is particularly suitable to eat congee after illness, when the spleen and stomach are deficient of energy, there are indigestion and bloating after eating, and there is deficiency of spleen energy with diarrhea. There are also two types of rice, glutinous rice and polished round-grained rice. The nature of glutinous rice is warm, it invigorates the spleen, recuperates the lungs, benefits the vital energy and stops perspiration. The nature of polished round-grain rice is plain, the effects are similar to glutinous rice, but it’s aroma and taste are faint, it helps urination and excretion. Li Yü (李漁 1610-1680) said “When cooking rice, if the water is too much, do not take it out. When cooking congee, if the water is too little, do not add more in. Such are the right tastes for rice and congee.” This is something that one should be aware.
Glutinous rice
Polished round-grained rice
The method to cook congee, is to boil the water first, and use a wooden ladle to stir the water dozens of times. After the water boils, then put the rice in. The proportion of water and rice, is to do with thin congee or thick congee, it is a matter of personal preference. The duration and degree of heating, is to make the congee mushy, if it is not enough, then the aroma and taste will be unsatisfactory. if it is overdone, then the aroma and taste will diminish. Either condition forfeits the proper nutrition level.
The five rules of eating congee are:
1. For a healthy person to eat congee, it is correct to follow the way of Chang Lei (張耒 1054-1114), who was mentioned in the poem by Lu Yu. Chang Lei wrote A Record of Congee (粥記), it says: “Begin every day with a large bowl of congee, the vital energy of the grain is most effective with an empty belly and an energy deficient stomach, the body can be much strengthened this way.”
2. For an old person to eat congee, it is particularly beneficial. The old person can eat congee throughout the day, disregard the number of meals, and eat it whenever feeling hungry.
3. To nurse a person deficient of energy, congee can be served for breakfast and dinner.
4. For the seriously ill, or someone recovering from grave illness, the vital energy of the stomach is weak and deficient, there is loss of appetite and rice cannot be digested. After eating congee, do not take other food, or supplement other food. Only this way can the benefit of eating congee be reaped.
5. Congee must not be eaten cold. Cold congee can damage the stomach and blood vessels can clot.
Furthermore, congee can be a supplement to medicine, so that “forceful medicine can be abated, mild medicine can double its effectiveness”, making the most of any prescribed medicine. An example is cinnamon combination (桂枝湯) used to heal superficies-syndrome of exogenous febrile disease (傷寒表虛證), its prescription clearly states: “Soon after taking the medicine, consume a liter of hot thin congee to support the medicine.” This is a classic example of using the vital energy of water and grain to cast away illness and put right the body.
The following are a number of congee recipes, they can be used for nourishment, or food, or treatment. They are attractive in taste, simple to prepare, economical and effective. They are thus presented to the readers.
1. Ginseng Congee
Use 15 grams of ginseng powder and 100 grams of rice to cook the congee. Eat the congee when the stomach is empty.
Efficacy:
Greatly strengthens the vital energy, refreshes the spirit and promotes the production of body fluid.
Cure:
Deficiency of body energy after illness, fatigue and dizziness, indigestion, loss of appetite and thirst.
2. Sea Cucumber Congee
Cook the sea cucumber until tender and cut it into small pieces. Use appropriate quantity of rice and prepare the congee.
Efficacy:
Nourishes the kidney and benefits the essence of life, warming and recuperating the kidney.
Cure:
Deficiency of energy and fatigue, impotence.
3. Lotus Seed Congee
Use appropriate amount of lotus seeds, mixed with rice to prepare the congee.
Efficacy:
Strengthens the spleen, nourishes the heart, stops nocturnal emission.
Cure:
Deficiency of spleen energy and diarrhea, deficiency of heart-energy and sleeplessness, deficiency of kidney energy and spermatorrhea.
4. Pine Nuts Congee
Use 50 grams of pine nuts and 150 grams of rice to cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Nourishes the heart, tranquilizes the spirit, loosens the bowels to relieve constipation.
Cure:
Insomnia and forgetfulness, dry intestines and constipation.
5. Gordon Euryale Seed Congee
Use the same amount of Gordon Euryale seeds and rice to cook congee.
Efficacy:
Strengthens essence of life and vital energy, improves visual and auditory acuity.
Cure:
Enuresis, spermatorrhea, diarrhea, frequent urination, hearing impairment, defective vision.
6. Pearl Barley Congee
Use 100 grams of pearl barley and 200 grams of rice to cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Remove wetness-heat evil, benefits intestines and stomach.
Cure:
Rheumatism, pain from stagnation-syndrome of vital energy and blood, swelling and pain of joints, beriberi, loose stools.
7. Chinese Yam Congee
Use appropriate amount of Chinese yam, mixed with rice to cook congee.
Efficacy:
Strengthens the essence of kidney, benefits intestines and stomach.
Cure:
Deficiency of kidney energy and spermatorrhea, deficiency of spleen energy and diarrhea, excessive fetal movement for pregnant woman, growth hindrance during puberty for adolescent.
8. Chestnut Congee
Use 12 chestnuts and 200 grams of rice to cook the congee
Efficacy:
Benefits the essence of kidney, strengthens the waist and knees.
Cure:
Deficiency of kidney energy, weak waist and weak kness.
9. Mogette Bean Congee
Use 100 grams of mogette beans, cook them first, then add 200 grams of rice to prepare the congee.
Efficacy:
Strengthens the spleen, stops leucorrhea.
Cure:
Deficiency of spleen energy and diarrhea, leucorrhea.
10. Dwarf Lilyturf Congee
Cook 50 grams of dwarf lilyturf to extract the juice, then add 200 grams of rice. When the congee is half cooked, add the prepared juice of dwarf lilyturf to cook together. Consume the congee when it is fully cooked.
Efficacy:
Benefits the stomach, promotes the production of body fluid, moistens the lungs, nourishes Yin to clear away the lung-heat.
Cure:
Withered lung, cough, regurgitation, thirst.
11. Fresh Ginger Congee
Take five slices of fresh ginger of the size of copper coin, chop them into fine pieces, add 100 grams of rice to cook thin congee. Ideally, drink the hot congee to perspire slightly.
Efficacy:
Releases superficial cold, warms the middle-warmer to stop vomiting.
Cure:
Wind-cold evil caused by exogenous pathogenic factor, headache and body ache, stomach-cold and suffering from pain, vomit and cough.
12. Lily Bulb Congee
Use a whole lily bulb and 150 grams of rice to cook the congee. It is optional to add a little crystal sugar.
Efficacy:
Moistens the lungs, regulates the middle-warmer, calms the heart tranquilizes the spirit.
Cure:
Dry lungs and cough, throat discomfort, absent mindedness, restlessness.
13. Taro Congee
Use appropriate amount of taro, add rice to cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Smoothens the intestines and stomach, recuperates deficiency of energy and fatigue, relieves scrofula.
Cure:
Deficiency of spleen energy, weak vital energy, scrofula and phlegmatic nodules (tuberculosis of lymph mode, thyroid, breast nodules and lipoma).
14. Carrot Congee
Slice the carrot and add rice to cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Helps digestion and keeps the adverse energy down, dissipates phlegm, stops cough.
Cure:
Food accumulates in the abdomen that causes swelling, phlegm blockage, cough and out of breath.
15. Lotus Leaf Congee
Boil a lotus leaf to extract the juice, add rice to cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Lifts the lucid Yang and relieves the summer heat, clears away the heart-fire and promotes the production of body fluid, promotes diuresis and relieves swelling.
Cure:
Relieves summer heat, fidgetiness and thirst, dizziness and nausea, heaviness and swelling of body.
16. Bamboo Leaf Congee
Boil 50 grams of bamboo leaves, extract the juice, add rice and cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Clears away heart-fire and fidgetiness, promotes the production of body fluid and stops thirst.
Cure:
Fidgetiness and heat in the chest, insomnia and panic, oliguria with reddish urine, skin ulcer in the oral cavity.
17. Spinach Congee
Chop the spinach leaves with stem into tiny pieces, add equal amount of rice and cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Regulates the middle-warmer, moistens the dryness, keeps the adverse energy downward and quenches thirst.
Cure:
Constipation after long illness, swelling of the abdomen and thirst, hemorrhoid, alcohol poisoning.
18. Shepherd's Purse Congee
Chop the leaves of shepherd’s purse into tiny pieces, add equal amount of rice and cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Cools the blood and stops bleeding, clears away liver-fire to treat eye disease.
Cure:
Stranguria complicated by hematuria (hematuria), red and swollen eyes.
19. Sheep Liver Congee
Chop 200 grams of sheep liver into pieces and make a soup. Use the soup and 200 grams of rice to cook the congee. If sheep liver is not available, pork liver can be used as substitute.
Efficacy:
Recuperates the liver, improves eyesight.
Cure:
Heated liver-wind and deficiency of energy, impaired eyesight, losing eyesight after febrile diseases, night blindness.
20. Chicken Juice Congee
Use a hen to cook a soup, and add rice to prepare the congee.
Efficacy:
Recuperates deficiency of energy and nourishes the blood.
Cure:
All kinds of fatigues and deficiency of energy, deficiency of vital energy and blood.
21. Drake Juice Congee
Use an old drake to cook a soup, and add rice to prepare the congee.
Efficacy:
Recuperates deficiency of energy and relieves heat, promotes diuresis and relieves swelling.
Cure:
Asthenic fever and edema.
22. Milk Congee
Add 450 grams of milk when the congee is seventy percent cooked, stir the congee and milk till even. Consume the congee when it is fully cooked.
Efficacy:
Recuperates deficiency of energy and nourishes the blood, moistens the lungs and lubricates the intestines, nourishes, moistens and maintains facial appearance.
Cure:
Deficiency of vital energy and blood, dry lung and constipation, yellow skin, dry hair.
23. Tofu Milk Congee
Add a bowl of tofu milk when the congee is half cooked. Consume the congee when it is fully cooked.
Efficacy:
Invigorates the spleen and moistens the lungs, relieves dyspepsia and infantile malnutrition, keep the foul smell of large intestine downward, helps urination.
Cure:
Infantile malnutrition, swollen abdomen and constipation, difficulty with urination.
24. Raisin Tree Seed Congee
Use 40 grams of raisin tree seed, add 100 grams of rice, and cook the congee.
Efficacy:
Relieves fidgetiness, clears the heat, ease alcohol poisoning, mitigate intoxication.
Cure:
Febrile diseases, fidgetiness and thirst, intoxication. (It is ideal to consume this the following day after getting drunk with an empty stomach.)
25. Rice Gruel Congee
Rice gruel appears as a thin slick layer on the surface of boiling congee.
Efficacy:
Recuperates deficiency of energy, strengthens the spleen, nourishes the Yin and delivers strength.
Cure:
Deficiency of energy, thin and weak, fatigue, loss of appetite after illness, oligospermia.
Portrait of Chang Lei
In the health manual Lao-lao heng-yen (老老恆言) by Ts'ao T'ing-tung (曹庭棟 1700-1785), he quoted Chang Lei (張耒): “Generally speaking, preserving one's health is to seek peace and happiness, there is really nothing profound nor abstruse, it is only about the manners of living, drinking and eating.” Therefore, for those who are skilled in preserving health, there is no need to pursue exceptional prescription nor extraordinary method, sublime medicine nor elixir. Something ordinary, when appropriately used and correctly applied, can be a fine panacea to prolong life. "To feed on congee to be immortal" is a poetic line that expresses this rationale.
Lotus Seed Congee
