“Cereal??? Again for breakfast?” my daughter complained to me the other day. I don’t blame her. I’m not a cereal fan myself. And with all of our routines kind of a mess these days, it’s important to start the day right.
Thank goodness we’re back in China, where there are plenty of unusual options for breakfast. Noodles, for one, are allowed, as are any savory leftovers from the day before. Yes, most Chinese breakfasts are pretty much afterthoughts, but I think a country’s food culture can be judged on how much emphasis the country puts on breakfast. Countries with outstanding breakfasts — think England or Germany — generally aren’t known for their lunches or dinners. China, on the other hand, has probably one of the worst breakfast cultures in the world, but the rest of the cuisine is pretty darn good!
China still has some alluring breakfast foods, which I’ll detail occasionally on this blog. For one, there’s this congee. Served plain, it can be pretty boring, but with additions and toppings, it’s like a good bowl of savory oatmeal. And it can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or anytime in between. Millet makes the congee healthier and heartier than the typical congee, which are usually made of white rice. Think of millet as the Chinese version of steel cut oats.
There are lots of ingredients you can add to congee, but my children’s favorite is pork floss, a savory-sweet snack you can eat right out of the jar. Here in Beijing, I pushed a few buttons on my phone the other day, and in thirty minutes, a delivery guy showed up in front of my house with a jar of pork floss from the nearby Singaporean beef jerky vendor called Bee Cheng Hiang. In the States and abroad, pork floss can be found in Asian markets or online. It’s kind of an ethereal cloud-like version of jerky and nowadays in China, it seems to top everything, from sweet baked goods to French fries.
Millet Congee with Pork Floss
1 cup millet
4 cups water
pork floss, to taste
Optional garnish: Japanese rice seasoning, and/or scallions
Place the millet and water in a medium-sized pot, rice cooker, or Instant Pot. If using a rice cooker or Instant Pot, chose the porridge function. If cooking stovetop, bring the millet to a boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until tender. The mixture should be slightly soupy and not too dense. (If too thick, add a little water and cook for a few more minutes.)
Serve immediately with pork floss, and add an optional garnish of Japanese rice seasoning and/or scallions.