Dried Vegetable (Cai Gan), Scallop and Pork Bone Congee

Why people make this congee

The period after the Start of Autumn (around early August) in the Chinese calendar is a time when the air gradually loses its summer humidity but daytime temperatures remain very high — a combination that easily creates internal dryness and heat. The Cantonese tradition of making “golden and silver vegetables” soup (jin yin cai tang, using both fresh and dried vegetables) addresses exactly this seasonal challenge. This version makes a full congee with pork bones for richness and sun-dried mustard greens and scallop for depth of flavour. In traditional food therapy, this combination is associated with clearing heat from the lungs and stomach, soothing dry cough with little or no phlegm, and easing the full, uncomfortable feelings that internal heat can bring. It is one of the most comforting and naturally delicious congees in the Cantonese repertoire.