Foshan's delectable cuisine is once again gaining international attention. Recently, a Japanese TV Show named The Unknown City came to Shunde, introducing the unique flavors of non-rice hot pot to the world. The show was jointly planned and produced by the Central Asia and Africa Center of CCTV and Japan's Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd. Focusing on capturing the cultural essence of various Chinese cities, it shows the charm and modern humanistic style of Chinese cities to enhance the Japanese audience's understanding and cognition of China. What is the charm of non-rice porridge? Let's take a look!

What is non-rice porridge?

Unlike hotpot in other places, the non-rice porridge does not have a grain of rice in the porridge, which is so-called "there is rice but not visible rice, only extracting the essence of rice".

Originated in Foshan's Shunde, the non-rice porridge hotpot is a product of innovation and reform by Shunde people. Based on the porridge, they combined it with the practice of the soup pot, making it an original invention. The porridge is made of fragrant rice and chicken soup, and the rice residue is removed to leave the rice soup, making it slippery and sticky.

Although there is no rice grains, it maintains a certain consistency. After a century of inheritance, the non-rice porridge art has been listed as Shunde Intangible Cultural Heritage.

How to enjoy the non-rice porridge

To enjoy the non-rice porridge, it's not just about "eating rice without seeing rice"; you also need to select the best parts of the ingredients. The key is to prioritize freshness, starting with seafood and shellfish to establish the base flavor of the hot pot. For the non-rice hot pot, the order in which ingredients are added is very important. The seafood and shellfish always lay at the bottom of the hot pot. Fish, meat, and vegetables appear in turn, which can maximize the freshness of the food. In Shunde’s culinary tradition, it's all about savoring the essence of each ingredient – “Eat well, and prepare thoroughly.”

White shellfish and fresh shrimp meat are rich and tender, and when served with the porridge, their fresh flavor is instantly activated.The fresh fish slices are "moisturized" by the thick porridge, locking in their fresh flavor and making their meat more tender and smooth. Finally, a sip of the porridge that combines the essence of all ingredients is absolutely delicious!

Reporter | Rouly

Revisor | Lynn, Eleanor

Photo | Japanese TV Show The Unknown City