Tomorrow marks the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, commonly known as "Laba." The Laba Festival originated from ancient sacrificial rites held in the twelfth lunar month, hence the name "Laxue" (sacrificial month). During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was designated as "Laxue Day," and it later became popularly known as the "Laba Festival."
Each Laba Festival, Buddhist temples hold charity porridge events, offering free congee to the public. Why? Legend holds that before attaining enlightenment, Buddha Shakyamuni accepted offerings of porridge. The anniversary of his enlightenment falls on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month—commonly known as the "Laba Festival" or "Dharma Treasure Festival" in Buddhism—giving rise to the tradition of Laba congee.
The custom of Laba congee has long transcended Buddhist circles, evolving into a widespread folk tradition. In Beijing, savoring a bowl of sweet Laba congee and preparing a jar of Laba garlic marks the closing of the old year and officially ushers in the rhythm of welcoming the Spring Festival.
The Therapeutic Benefits of Laba Congee
Congee holds significant therapeutic value. Song Dynasty poet Lu You penned a poem titled "Eating Congee," which reads: "All seek longevity, yet fail to see it before their eyes.I've mastered the simple method of Wanqiu: Simply eating porridge leads to immortality." Consuming porridge replenishes fluids, regulates digestion, and offers benefits such as beautifying the skin, promoting weight management, alleviating fatigue, clearing heat, relieving coughs, and preventing colds. Laba porridge contains diverse ingredients, each with unique properties, making it particularly suitable for the elderly, children, those with chronic illnesses, and individuals recovering from surgery or childbirth. It serves as an optimal dietary choice for restoring vitality and replenishing energy.
Ingredients for Laba Congee
The main ingredients for "Laba Congee" are grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, and meats.
Grains: Commonly used are japonica rice, glutinous rice, Job's tears, purple rice, and millet. Oats, barley, black rice, yellow glutinous rice, and buckwheat can also be used.
Japonica Rice
Also known as regular rice, japonica rice contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other nutrients. It nourishes the spleen and stomach, harmonizes the internal organs, relieves irritability and thirst, and benefits essence. Those with poor spleen and stomach function—manifesting as sallow complexion, loss of appetite, weight loss, or fatigue—can benefit from consuming rice porridge to nourish the body.
Glutinous Rice
Glutinous rice, also known as sticky rice, warms the spleen and boosts qi. It is suitable for those with weak spleen and stomach function, offering good efficacy for symptoms like cold-induced diarrhea, restlessness with thirst, night sweats, and frequent urination. However, glutinous rice is difficult to digest and should not be consumed in large quantities.
Job's Tears
Job's Tears fortify the spleen, nourish the lungs, clear heat, and drain dampness. Rich in dietary fiber, they help prevent hyperlipidemia, hypertension, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases. Those experiencing bitter taste in the mouth, bad breath, sticky stools, or thick greasy tongue coating may consume them regularly.
Historical dramas often depict barley being used to harm pregnant concubines in palace intrigues. While barley rarely causes miscarriage, it can induce abdominal distension. Its diuretic effect may worsen constipation, and excessive consumption may lead to "heatiness" symptoms. Therefore, avoid drinking barley porridge made solely from barley. It's best to add a small amount of barley to regular rice when cooking porridge.
Millet
Millet strengthens the spleen and harmonizes the stomach, making it suitable for long-term consumption by those with weak digestion. When cooking millet porridge, allow it to cool slightly after cooking. A layer of fine, viscous substance will form on top—this is "porridge oil." This substance is highly effective at protecting the gastric mucosa and nourishing the spleen and stomach, making it especially beneficial for those with chronic gastritis or gastric ulcers.
Purple Rice
Purple rice boasts not only high protein content with all essential amino acids but also abundant natural black rice pigments, trace elements, and vitamins—particularly rich in iron, selenium, zinc, vitamin B1, and vitamin B2.Purple rice is exceptionally rich in dietary fiber. This fiber helps lower blood cholesterol levels, aiding in the prevention of heart disease caused by coronary artery hardening. Traditional Chinese medicine attributes it with benefits such as boosting energy and blood, warming the stomach and strengthening the spleen, nourishing the liver and kidneys, reducing frequent urination, and alleviating coughing and wheezing.
Oats
Oats help lower blood cholesterol levels. Consuming oats slows the rise in blood sugar. Adding oats to carbohydrate-rich foods can inhibit blood sugar spikes. Therefore, individuals with diabetes or diabetes complicated by cardiovascular disease may benefit from incorporating oats into their porridge.
Legumes: Common varieties include soybeans, adzuki beans, mung beans, black beans, and kidney beans.
Soybeans
Soybeans are rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and other nutrients. They offer multiple health benefits, including lowering blood cholesterol, preventing cardiovascular disease, inhibiting various malignant tumors, and preventing osteoporosis. Individuals allergic to milk or concerned about milk safety can consume soy milk instead.
Red Beans
Red beans contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and more. Traditional Chinese medicine attributes to them the ability to strengthen the spleen, dry dampness, promote diuresis, and reduce swelling. They offer auxiliary therapeutic effects for spleen deficiency-induced diarrhea and edema.
Vegetables and Fruits: The vegetables and nuts added to Laba porridge can be either fresh or dried. Common additions include peanuts, red dates, walnuts, longan, raisins, chestnuts, cashews, ginkgo nuts, Chinese yam, and goji berries.
Red Dates
Red dates boast exceptionally high vitamin content, earning them the reputation as "nature's vitamin pills." They nourish yin and yang, replenish blood, and promote blood production when regularly used in congee or soups. This helps prevent anemia and enhances skin radiance.
Goji Berries
Goji berries nourish the kidneys and essence, support liver health and vision, replenish blood and calm the mind, generate fluids to quench thirst, and moisten the lungs to relieve coughs. They address conditions like liver and kidney yin deficiency, soreness in the lower back and knees, dizziness, blurred vision with excessive tearing, consumptive cough, diabetes, and nocturnal emissions.
Sesame Seeds
Rich in oils and vitamin E, sesame seeds moisturize the skin, nourish blood, and promote bowel regularity, making them an excellent beauty-preserving ingredient.
Walnuts
Walnut kernels fortify the kidneys, anchor qi, enhance intelligence, strengthen the brain, and reinforce tendons and bones. They also stimulate appetite and promote hair growth. The vitamin E in walnut kernels is recognized by the medical community as an anti-aging agent.They treat insomnia, forgetfulness, and palpitations. Ideal for those with weakness, anemia, aging, or prolonged illness.
Raisins
Rich in iron and calcium, raisins are a nourishing tonic for children, women, and those with weakness or anemia. They replenish blood and qi, warm the kidneys, and treat anemia and thrombocytopenia.
Lily Bulbs
Lily bulbs moisten the lungs, relieve coughs, clear the heart, and calm the spirit. They are used for persistent dry coughs, restlessness, and insomnia. Containing colchicine, lily bulbs are a natural anti-tumor food.
Meat: Common ingredients include minced meat, shredded meat, shrimp, ham, and cured pork. These porridges are typically savory and more common in southern regions.
Steps for Making Laba Congee
1. Soak hard-to-cook ingredients (such as red beans, mung beans, black rice, brown rice, dried lotus seeds, wheat berries, buckwheat, etc.) overnight.
2. Add water to a pot. First add the harder-to-cook ingredients along with dried fruits and candied fruits (such as longan, chestnuts, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, goji berries, red dates, raisins, etc.). Bring to a boil over high heat for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Repeat this process twice. Simultaneously soak the remaining ingredients (mainly various grains).
3. After the third boil, add the remaining ingredients. Once boiling again, reduce heat to low and simmer for one hour.
4. After one hour, stir in brown sugar (optional) until dissolved. Simmer for ten more minutes before serving.
Young people with busy schedules can use an electric pressure cooker for congee.Soak the harder-to-cook ingredients for at least 4 hours, then add them to the electric pressure cooker with the rest. Set the timer, and your porridge will be ready before you wake up! Though not as creamy as slow-simmered porridge, it still lets you enjoy homemade Laba porridge!
Since Laba is a Buddhist festival, temples and Taoist shrines traditionally distribute free porridge to the poor each year.While few go hungry today, many still queue for the porridge—simply for good luck!