Sour Porridge

Sour Porridge

　　Sour Porridge

　　Sour porridge is a type of sour rice dish. In fact, other sour rice varieties such as sour braised rice and yam sour thin porridge also have unique flavors. On sweltering summer days, after resting at noon and before heading out to work, having two bowls of cold sour rice soup soaked with braised rice ensures you stay neither thirsty nor hungry throughout the afternoon while toiling in fields that are “scorching hot as if ablaze”

　　. For laborers, the feast of their community is beyond count, but what could compare to the delicious taste of this hometown dish? Sour porridge aids digestion. During the Spring Festival, when every household enjoys rich meals, sometimes too much greasy food can cause discomfort and loss of appetite—but just a few bowls of sour porridge are sure to get your stomach back in gear.

　　It is speculated that sour porridge may have anti-cancer properties. Scientists haven’t tried sour porridge—this unrefined, humble dish isn’t exactly fine-dining material. Yet during its fermentation process, sour rice produces a kind of bacteria. It’s said that the strains for penicillin and streptomycin were extracted from spoiled vegetables, grains, and animal hides and meat. People in Jungar say, “Two bowls of sour porridge, no need for digestive pills.”