According to the lunar calendar, today is the eighth day of the lunar month of December, which is the Laba Festival in China.
People celebrate the Laba Festival with sweet tasting congee called “treasure porridge,” which is made from more than eight ingredients, including different kinds of rice, beans and dried fruit.
The origin of the festival dated back to more than 1,000 years ago, when people prayed for a good harvest as well as good luck for their families.
Now, it has become more like a food event, when people celebrate with gourmet Laba congee.
To make this nutritious congee, you can start with soaking ingredients in water for a couple hours and then boil them for one to two hours until everything is soft.
Alternatively, you can use a pressure cooker to make it faster, boiling for about half an hour. After everything is cooked, add some brown or stone sugar to the pot.
The texture of this porridge is very soft and smooth, not greasy at all.
If you are interested in making a bowl of delicious “treasure porridge,” here is a quick online recipe from TravelChinaGuide
