Chinese Yam and Red Date Congee
山药红枣粥 · shān yào hóng zǎo zhōu
This is the bowl that appears in Chinese households in the first cold week of autumn — part breakfast, part tonic. Yam is considered neutral and strengthening in Chinese food therapy, red dates 'build the blood', and together they make a congee sweet enough to eat without any sugar at all if the dates are good.
Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen
Home-cooking research team
Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29
Ingredients
- short-grain white rice短粒白米🛒 local90 g
- Chinese yam (nagaimo), peeled and cut into 2 cm chunks山药，去皮切2厘米块🏮 asian250 g
- dried red dates (jujube), pitted and halved红枣，去核对半🏮 asian40 g
- goji berries枸杞🏮 asian8 g
- dried longan flesh桂圆肉🏮 asian15 g
- rock sugar冰糖🏮 asian15 g
short-grain white rice: Rinse until clear, then soak 30 minutes in the cooking water
Chinese yam (nagaimo), peeled and cut into 2 cm chunks: Wear gloves when peeling — the sap itches badly. Frozen peeled yam is a good shortcut
dried red dates (jujube), pitted and halved: Look for plump, glossy, dark-red dates; dull wrinkled ones are old and will taste flat
goji berries: Add at the very end — long cooking turns them sour and grey
dried longan flesh: Optional; adds a deep honeyed note. Available in Asian markets near the dried fruits
rock sugar: Taste first — good dates may make this unnecessary
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Instructions
1Rinse the rice until the runoff is clear, then soak it in 1.2 L (5 cups) cold water for 30 minutes. Do not drain.
淘净泡透
🔍 Look for Low heat 30 分钟 · 30 minutesVisual: 米粒粉白不透明，水略带乳白Grains look chalky and opaque; the water turns faintly milky
You know it's right when: 指甲轻掐米粒即碎A grain crushes easily between your fingernails
2Bring the rice and its soaking water to a boil over high heat with the red dates and longan, then drop to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes.
枣与米同煮
🔍 Look for Medium-low 20 分钟 · 20 minutesVisual: 红枣泡发饱满，汤汁呈淡琥珀色Dates have swollen plump and the liquid has taken on a pale amber tint
You know it's right when: 用勺把枣压向锅壁，能轻松压开A date splits easily when pressed against the pot with a spoon
3Add the yam chunks. Simmer 15 minutes more, stirring gently every few minutes.
山药中途下锅
🔍 Look for Medium-low 15 分钟 · 15 minutesVisual: 山药块边角发亮微透，部分边缘开始散开Yam looks waxy and slightly translucent at the corners; some pieces have begun to fray at the edges
You know it's right when: 勺子轻压即入但仍保持块状A chunk yields to a spoon with light pressure but still holds its shape
4Stir in the rock sugar and cook 3 minutes until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust — the congee should be gently sweet, not dessert-sweet.
清甜不腻
🔍 Look for Low heat 3 分钟 · 3 minutesVisual: 勺上无糖粒，粥面光滑有光泽No crystals remain on the spoon; the surface looks glossy and smooth
You know it's right when: 甜味落在舌根而非糊满全口The sweetness registers at the back of the tongue rather than coating the whole mouth
5Turn off the heat and stir in the goji berries. Cover and let stand 5 minutes.
关火放枸杞
🔍 Look for Low heat 5 分钟 · 5 minutesVisual: 枸杞泡软成红润珠粒，颜色未褪Goji berries have softened to plump red beads but have not lost their colour
You know it's right when: 咬开柔软，无干硬硬心Berries are tender when bitten, with no hard dry centre
6Give the pot one last gentle stir to break up any yam that has thickened the base, then ladle into bowls and serve warm.
轻搅盛碗
🔍 Look for Low heat 1 分钟 · 1 minuteVisual: 粥体绵滑带琥珀色斑点，有浅色山药块与红色枣瓣Creamy amber-flecked congee with pale yam chunks and red date halves
You know it's right when: 勺子能在锅中央短暂立住再慢慢歪倒A spoon stands briefly in the centre before slowly leaning over
Tips
- · Peel yam under running water or with gloves on — the raw sap causes an itch that lasts for hours.
- · Pit the dates. Whole un-pitted dates are considered 'heating' in Chinese food therapy and give a harsher sweetness.
- · Add goji only after the heat is off; simmered goji turns grey and lends a sour edge to the whole pot.
Sources & references
Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.
- Read our editorial policy
- Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
- USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
- Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records
Common questions
Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?
Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.
Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine
How do I make this vegetarian/vegan?
Swap meat for tofu, mushrooms (dried shiitake for umami), or seitan. Replace oyster sauce with mushroom sauce, chicken stock with veg stock, and watch for fish sauce and shrimp in sauces. Doubanjiang is vegetarian but check brands. Most of our recipes include a 'make it veg' note in the tips.
Source: HǎoWèi diet guide
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