Fu Shen, Red Date and Millet Congee

Why people make this congee

At the dried-goods and herb shops you’ll see boxes of poria — some pure white, some with a reddish rim, and some with an “eye” in the middle, sold as fu shen. Poria is cut from different parts of the same fungus: poria peel (the outer skin), red poria (the reddish layer near the skin), and fu shen (the white core that hugs a piece of pine root). Nourilo uses the fu shen here because it is the portion traditionally associated with calming the mind. Simmered with red dates and millet, this congee is traditionally taken by people who feel frazzled or muddled, with palpitations, poor sleep, shortness of breath and low energy.