Zhou with Century Egg

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the jasmine rice under cold water 2 to 3 times until the water is less cloudy. Drain well. Peel and finely julienne the ginger, slice the spring onions thinly, and peel the century eggs. Cut the century eggs into small wedges or rough chunks for easier spoonfuls.

   120 g jasmine rice20 g fresh ginger, julienned2 spring onions, thinly sliced2 century eggs
2. 2

   Put the rice, water, salt, and half of the ginger into a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice so the rice does not stick to the bottom.

   120 g jasmine rice1.5 litres water4 g fine salt20 g fresh ginger, julienned
3. 3

   As soon as it boils, lower to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and scraping the base of the pot. The grains should break down and the porridge should become creamy; add a splash of hot water only if it thickens too much before the rice is fully soft.

   120 g jasmine rice1.5 litres water
4. 4

   When the congee is silky and the rice has mostly opened up, turn off the heat and rest it for 5 minutes. This short rest helps the starch settle into a smoother texture.

5. 5

   Ladle the hot congee into 2 bowls. Top each bowl with century egg, the remaining ginger, spring onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, fried shallots, and a small pinch of white pepper. Serve immediately while very hot.

   2 century eggs20 g fresh ginger, julienned2 spring onions, thinly sliced10 ml light soy sauce5 ml sesame oil10 g fried shallots1 g white pepper

Origin & History

Congee, known broadly as zhou in Chinese, has been a staple across China for centuries and is one of the country's most widespread comfort foods. Plain rice porridge is often adapted with regional toppings, and century egg with ginger and spring onion is a classic Cantonese-style combination prized for its contrast of silky porridge, pungent aromatics, and rich preserved egg.