Vietnamese Chicken Congee: A Healing Food

Experience the healing power of three regional chicken congees.

Chicken congee is not only delicious but also easy to digest and full of nutrients. That’s why Vietnamese people often whip it up for those who are under the weather or need a bit of a boost. It’s also a go-to dish during death anniversaries and Tet holidays, especially when there’s a boiled chicken on the offering tray. Interestingly, each region in Vietnam has its own unique and appealing way of cooking chicken congee.

Northern Vietnamese Chicken Congee

A great congee starts with picking the “right” chicken. First, you need a free-range chicken, one that’s been fed natural foods like rice, corn, and vegetables. If you can find a hen that’s just laid its first batch of eggs or a young hen that hasn’t laid eggs yet, it’s even better. These chickens have savory meat that’s perfectly chewy, just like the saying goes, “A chicken can be eaten after three months, a horse can be ridden after three years.” 

The chicken simmers away in a pot with crushed ginger and shallots, along with some fish sauce, giving off an irresistible aroma. Don’t forget to skim off the foam to keep the broth clear. The secret from the ancient Northern Vietnamese is to let the chicken boil for about five minutes, then turn off the heat, cover it up, and let it sit for another twenty minutes. This way, the chicken will cook to perfection.

Chicken meat from the breast and thighs, with its golden skin, is shredded into bite-sized pieces. The head, neck, and bones go back into the pot to make the broth even more savory. The wings and gizzard are set aside for those who like to nibble, following the old saying, “Gizzard is the best, wings are the second.” Why is gizzard the best? Because its top part contains fatty oil, where the chicken often wipes its beak and then spreads it on its feathers to make them shiny.

Northern Vietnamese people prefer thick congee, so they often mix glutinous rice with regular rice or use newly harvested rice, which is stickier than older rice. After washing the rice, they drain it, then give it a light pounding to break the grains into two or three pieces. When the chicken broth is hot, the broken rice jumps in. The wooden spoon quickly stirs it around so the mischievous rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. The congee simmers gently, and the rice blooms like flowers, soaking up the fragrant chicken broth.

Scallion leaves are mildly pungent, and coriander is fragrant. A couple of slender, curved scallion stalks add a refreshing touch. Some people like a bit of strong dill. The congee is thick and soft. The chicken is slightly chewy. The herbs are fragrant, the ginger is spicy, and the sweetness is light. Even if you’re tired and don’t feel like eating, the healing aroma of chicken congee will tempt you to try a small bowl, and after eating it, you’ll feel much better.

The Central: Shredded chicken and Giblet congee

In Central Vietnam, chicken congee is prepared in two ways: giblet congee (cháo gà lòng thả) or shredded chicken congee (cháo gà xé phay). 

When cooking chicken congee, Ms. Hoang Thi Kim Cuc, a home economics professor at Dong Khanh High School for Girls (Hue), stir-fried half of the chopped chicken meat with giblets, seasoning them with pepper, shallots, and fish sauce. This stir-fry created a richer flavor than boiled chicken. 

The rice was boiled before being added to the chicken broth. The rice grains opened slightly like flower buds, dancing hand in hand in the shimmering congee. Mild-flavored Vietnamese coriander was chosen to accompany it. Most uniquely, a bowl of chicken blood was added just after the congee was taken off the heat, making it “very delicious and nutritious.” (Cooking Hue Dishes 1943, Ho Chi Minh City General Publishing House 2004, p. 232)

Quang Nam and Da Nang still cherish their popular giblet congee. The rice is stir-fried with chicken fat before cooking, making the congee rich and fragrant. The difference lies in the chicken meat, which is sliced thinly, marinated with spices and crushed grilled rice paper, and left to ferment for a few hours. 

The hot congee cooks the meat quickly, giving it a slightly sour flavor that makes it even more appealing. The giblets, cooked longer in the pot, become tender. Ground pepper and aromatic Vietnamese coriander mellow the taste, both relieving colds and boosting energy.

In the Southern Central, shredded chicken congee is a favorite. Chicken is hand-shredded, rubbed with salt and pepper, mixed with Vietnamese coriander and onions soaked in lemon and sugar, along with some fatty broth from the congee. Pick up some shredded chicken and savor the savory, slightly fatty, sweet and sour taste. The meat is chewy and soft, while the skin is fatty and firm. Take another sip of congee, and you’ll feel more awake, with the fatigue in your body starting to fade away.

Southern Vietnamese chicken congee with banana flower salad

Southern Vietnamese people love to mix chicken with a garden-fresh ingredient: banana flower. For those who enjoy a crunchy, astringent taste, thinly sliced raw banana flowers soaked in water with a bit of lemon will do the trick. If you prefer a soft, nutty flavor, use boiled banana flowers, rinsed thoroughly and torn into large pieces. Southerners freely tear the chicken into large pieces and mix it with banana flower, Vietnamese coriander, and a fish sauce mixture with lemon, sugar, chili, and garlic.

The golden-roasted rice makes the congee fragrant with the aroma of roasted grains. You’ll also find straw mushrooms, lotus seeds, green beans, carrots, and young eggs in it. Plenty of scallions, coriander, and ground pepper add a fragrance strong enough to tickle your nose. Add a bowl of crushed salt and chili for those who like a salty dip. 

The plant-based sweetness from the rice, mushrooms, lotus seeds, and green beans is gentle and refreshing. The animal protein from the eggs and meat adds a strong, seductive sweetness. Then, the spicy, salty, astringent, and nutty flavors join them to create a vibrant symphony of a Southern congee.

From North to South, Vietnamese chicken congee varies from thick to thin, with some regions adding chicken directly into the congee while others keep it separate. Although each region has its own style, chicken congee is always among the most effective energy-boosting dishes. 

No matter where you are in Vietnam, a bowl of chicken congee offers comfort, nourishment, and a taste of tradition that warms both your body and soul.

mlefood – Minh Lê