Jook is the Korean word for what the Chinese call Congee, a soupy version of rice. My mom makes it by combining cooked rice and water in a small pot and running the hand blender through it a few times to finely grate the rice.
We usually eat it with a little bit of soy sauce that has green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and red pepper powder in it. It helps make it taste less bland. As banchan, or side dishes, I had some kim (sea weed) and sigeumchi moochim (steamed seasoned spinach), which are nice and easily digestible foods.
It struck me as funny because most of the readers out there probably have very different ideas as to what you eat to make yourself feel better. For instance, me and my mom cackled over how Americans eat Campbell's chicken soup when they're sick. Ugh, so salty and greasy! Others eat "soft foods" like jello or pudding, but to me, they seem so cold and sweet. I'm sure what we eat to get better seems funny to other cultures. But to me, jook is a wonderful comfort food. I couldn't eat it out of context--to have jook for a regular meal would be weird--but in the context of overcoming a stomach bug, this is the very best thing I can think of to eat.
What are your thoughts?
Hi Sunny, it really surprises me how similar your jook and our Cantonese congee are...
ReplyDeleteWell, the name congee was actually taught in elementary school, until recently I kind of feel that nobody understands what congee refers to...
Also, in Cantonese we call it jook too. I mean, its pronounciation is like the English 'joke' with an unaspirated -k.
Do you also have dried scallop in Korean cuisine? It's so great to have them in jook.
Hi Charles!! good to hear from you! yeah, i remember the delicious congee i ate over the summer...truth be told, i think i prefer the Cantonese variety over the Korean one, but it may be because those were ordered at restaurants as actual food, and the jook i eat at home is mild so it won't trouble an upset stomach.
ReplyDeleteYou call it jook in Cantonese too?! fabulous! what tone? (hehe i still occasionally practice the phrase you say to the minibus driver to let you out at our stop. i don't know why)
I don't think I have used dried scallop, but it might be the English that's confusing me. If i hear the Korean name for it, i might remember.
Miss you lots!! say hi to everyone there! OHHHH and if you can get your hand on the recipe for making Wood Milk Bread on some Cantonese cooking site, please please send it along to me (preferably translated). :D
totally what i crave when i am sick too! didn't know korean food had this sort of thing. oh yeah! apparently thailand has it too because i ate some there. i need to learn how to make the chinese version. :)
ReplyDeleteooh, did the thai kind have all kinds of awesome stuff in it? they jazz up their food so marvelously.
ReplyDeletei love when my mom makes me jook too when im sick!! its the perfect cold remedy :) thanks for your kind comment. come visit often! i try to provide healthy recipes too! :)
ReplyDeleteawesome, thanks for visiting! and yes, i will totally keep visiting your site, i love it!! :D
ReplyDeletebelated response, sorry. it had little "strips" of chicken or pork in it and came with a bunch of condiments on the side. soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, hot sauce, green onion, ginger? i don't remember. i do remember that it seemed so strange to me.
ReplyDelete