粥/稀饭zhōu /xī fàn: porridge 

 

Rice is the main food in China.China is the world’s largest rice producer, and one of the earliest centers of rice cultivation.For thousands of years, the Chinese people have been diligently cultivating their land for favorable harvests. The agricultural way of life, with rice as the center, has played an important role in China’s history. In the past, people held the belief that the precious things of life are the five grains with rice being number one, instead of pearls or jade.

For the Chinese people, rice is the staple food in everyday meals. They eat it as Westerners do with bread. Rice is cooked by boiling or steaming, till it absorbs as much water as it can.

There is a rich collection of rice dishes in China. Among them, fried rice might be the most popular not only in China, but also around the world. Depending on the types and amount of added ingredients, such as beans, chopped meat, vegetables, eggs, etc., as well as different manners of preparation, there have developed endless variations of fried rice.

Rice may also be made into rice porridge (congee). When cooking porridge, more water than usual is added to make the rice saturated with water and become very soft and viscous. It is often served and eaten with pickles, bamboo shoots, salted duck eggs, pickled tofu and many other condiments. Besides a common food on the dining table, rice porridge can also serve as food therapy for the unwell by adding ingredients of therapeutic value. Rice is the staple food of Chinese people in everyday meals.

Key words:
米mǐ: uncooked rice
饭fàn:cooked rice
种植zhǒng zhí: to plant