The smooth rice base is easy to spoon into a small portion. Let it cool, and cut the meat and offal into small pieces; offal has a stronger flavour and can be chewy.
Recipes vary. Ask the restaurant about ingredients and serving before you order.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
The choice and proportions of offal vary. The rice base and seasonings also differ between preparations.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savoury pork and the stronger flavour of offal.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Smooth porridge with tender meat and firmer offal.
- How it’s made
- Prepare a smooth rice porridge, then cook the pork and offal in the simmering base and finish with ginger and scallions.
The choice and proportions of offal vary. The rice base and seasonings also differ between preparations.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Guangdong.
About this regional connection
Guangdong: Guangdong regional association; not an exclusive origin claim.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有及第粥吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
An exam legend in a bowl of congee
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
One Guangzhou legend tells of Lun Wenxu, a poor seven-year-old vegetable seller in Xiguan, who was given congee by a shopkeeper. His bowls varied: one day pork meatballs, another pork intestine or liver, and sometimes all three. After Lun later became the top scholar in the imperial examinations, the tale says, he returned to thank the shopkeeper and named a bowl with the trio “Zhuangyuan Jidi Congee.” The name carries an auspicious wish for exam success.