Congee
/ˈkɒn.dʒi/noun
A thin rice porridge commonly eaten in South and East Asian cuisines.
Did you know?English received the word through Portuguese and Malay trade routes, making “congee” a linguistic trace of the historic Indian Ocean spice and commerce networks.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Tamil
Tamil
kāñci
“Rice gruel or thin rice porridge”
Medieval period
Malay
kanji
“Rice porridge, borrowed through South Asian maritime contact”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
canje
“Rice gruel or porridge, encountered in Asian trade ports”
17th Century
English
congee
“Rice porridge, adopted from Portuguese or related regional forms”
18th–19th Century
English
congee
“A familiar term for Asian rice porridge in English writing”
Modern English
English
congee
“A soft, usually savory rice porridge served throughout Asia and worldwide”