Fennel Congee Tea
Congee is a slow-cooked rice porridge used in Chinese culture and medicine as a healing food… and it is also known as “breakfast”. ? Slow cooked rice is easily digested and serves as a vehicle for any other nutrients cooked with it. Rice is used in this way to increase bioavailablity for the other foods.
For example, if you make a black fungus congee, your body will absorb more of the nutrients found in black fungus cooked and eaten with rice as you would if the fungus were to be eaten alone. So, presumably, if you eat black fungus for its high iron content, your body should absorb more of the iron if you have prepared black fungus in a congee.
Fennel Congee can be made using the traditional method of just slow cooking rice, fennel and lots of water. You can learn more about the method here. Pictured below, this congee was made using 6 parts water, 1 part brown rice, and about 1 cup chopped fennel.
You can use chicken broth with, or instead of, water.
Important Disclaimer: This blog is informational only. This is not medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider per all of your health needs and concerns.
Fennel Congee is used for a variety of purposes. It is considered to be very beneficial for alleviating hernia, and reducing tumors.
For a little more information, here is a page taken from “The Book of Jook: Chinese Medicinal Porridges“.
Another way to benefit from Congee, is to make a tea from it. This is often much better tolerated than a bowl of thick porridge. And all you have to do is prepare the Congee and strain it. Reserve the broth, add more hot water to thin, if needed. (or hot chicken broth) And sip the hot nourishing tea at your leisure.
Taken in a tea form, this really does not need to be sweetened up or seasoned, although it can be.
I tried a cup as-is and it was good. Then I stirred a few drops of raw honey into another cup, and it was great. ?