rice porridge...good for colds?

[romiromi]

Hey, I heard that "okayu"(porridge) is like the equivalent to chicken noodle soup in America, for colds. Is this true? And I wonder if it's any good? Soft, mushy rice sounds a little funky to me, but maybe I should give it a shot.

 

[wintersweet]

Yeah, congee/jook plays the same role in a lot of China and Chinese-influenced countries, too. Personally, I hate it. The closest I've come to liking it was in Taiwan, where it had chunks of sweet potato in it and I thought it would have made a great breakfast if it had sugar or honey in it. I suspect it's one of those things I'll never like. Anyway, it's a major comfort food in much of East Asia.

 

[romiromi]

I need to find a good recipe for it, maybe with some flavor and not just plain rice and water. Know of any?

 

[wintersweet]

I don't know what kind of flavorings for it are common in Japan, but there's a basic recipe here:
5 Japanese Comfort Foods for When You Aren't Feeling Well

 

[myrrhine]

there's a swedish version of rice porridge that i thought of when i saw the title of this thread - it's creamier though, and sweet, similar to a riz au lait for those of you familiar with that... don't know about it being good for colds, but comfort food it is most definitely!
also traditionally eaten around christmastime, so it's right in season!
here's a link to a recipe http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/breakfast/cereals/swedishporrige.html
in sweden one uses a special kind of rice (aptly named 'porridge rice', never tried normal rice - i think the closest american equivalent is 'pearl rice')
enjoy!

 

[bezz]

粥

Speaking of which, there is an ﾃｼber restaurant 瓢亭 in Kyoto that is famous for the most expensive rice porridge in the world: ﾂ･10000.

Hyotei (est. 1837)
35 Nanzenji-Kusagawa-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-8437 Japan
phone: +81(75)771-4116

 

[bezz]

Nanakusa

Jan. 7th the porridge day, details on this link page.

 

[JerseyBoy]

Speaking of which, there is an ?er restaurant 窶｢Z窶凖? in Kyoto that is famous for the most expensive rice porridge in the world: ﾂ･10000.

Hyotei (est. 1837)
35 Nanzenji-Kusagawa-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto 606-8437 Japan
phone: +81(75)771-4116

God, that's a very steep price for an okayu. I would rather put in uncle ben's rice bag in the bowl, pour water in it, nuke it in the microwave, and add hot water to make it look watery okayu. I think that will be less than a buck, plus a little more for seasoning and vegetables. (I admit I don't have any sense in culinary cultures)

 

[nice gaijin]

10000 what? yen? dollars? it'd be a good idea to include a label to that quantity, as currency rates greatly affect what we see as the "real value" of the number.

and yes, okayu is good all-around food for when you're feeling under the weather. I recommend a hint of ginger and a few teaspoons of soy sauce.

 

[MeAndroo]

God, I got so sick of this stuff the last time I got sick in Japan. Eventually my room started smelling like it, and I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for days. I suppose it worked...it made me get better so I wouldn't have to eat anymore.