Congee in Macau

Traditional rice porridge that is popular in Macau

My first ever experience of congee was, bizarrely, on a British Airways flight. They served it as one of the breakfast options, so I thought to myself, why not? - let's start the trip by discovering something new!

I had seen congee on various Chinese menus before, but had never taken the plunge. Not because it didn't appeal, but because other things on the menu always looked more tempting at the time.

So, here it is - my first ever dish of congee:

My First Congee

Well, if you are ever going to try something new, I would never recommend food on an plane as the basis of your opinion, I actually really enjoyed this dish. Actually, I loved it. The big surprise for me, was the way it makes your stomach 'feel' as you eat it. This congee was piping hot and was wonderfully soothing as it slipped down.

The other surprise, was the use of fresh ginger, chilli pepper and scallion onions. Just enough to give a good kick, but not to overpower every mouthful. Each mouthful was different and it was perfect as a bit of a wakeup at the end of a very long overnight flight.

Not seen in this picture, are the shrimp hidden underneath, that made it even more enjoyable than I expected. It turns out that congee is very versatile and can include any protein or veg you like, or be served plain.

Gongee in Macau

Although I never got to try congee in Macau, I could see that it is a popular dish, especially for breakfast. Plenty of cafes in Macau had congee on the menu. It's often called 'Jug', rather than congee.

One place where the congee looked really good, was at the Grand Lisboa. They had a place called 'noodle and congee corner' which looked great. I found this video of street food congee in Macau. Not sure exactly where in Macau it is, but I will try to find it next time I am there:

Congee - this example, served up by British Airways, was very good - served piping hot and with plenty of interesting flavors. It went down well at the end of a long overnight flight

I also liked this video I found, showing someone 'making her own' congee at a resort somewhere. Not Macau, but gives a good idea of the concept of congee and how it can be designed to suit your own taste buds:

And here's another congee video I really enjoyed watching - this one shows a mum with her son, teaching him how to make a turkey congee, topped with salad onions: