I have been thinking long and hard this past week about Sarah’s recent post about what to eat when you’re ill. After all, I had a strongly vested interest in the topic. Not only was I sick this past week, but so too were my 4 year-old daughter, my 3 month-old son, and my wife. Fever, infection, nausea, sore throats (I’ll spare you all of the gritty details). I mean, could anything else go wrong? The good news that the whole family is now on the mend. So, what to eat to nourish an aching body, soothe a sore throat, and fight off the chills that come with a high fever? There were the usual suspects: lots of fluids, including juice, tea, and electrolyte-rich coconut water. And toast, when my appetite kicked in to higher gear. But I tried something entirely new this time around. The inspiration came from multiple recommendations on Facebook for a friend who was also suffering sick in bed and feeling depleted. As I watched the suggestions pour in, there emerged a chorus for congee, the Chinese rice porridge. And, it made sense. Congee had all of the medicinal goodness I would typically associate with Jewish Penicillin (a.k.a chicken soup), but with the added value of a thick, creamy texture and a wallop of heat from the toppings (namely fresh ginger, plus scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil). I followed a recipe right here on epicurious, though there are countless variations on the theme. They all involve a sustained simmering of rice in liquid until the grains burst to form a p…[...]

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Congee: Chinese Penicillin