忙陇聥?/span> Chinese Snack Lab

Congee Consistency Calculator

Rice-to-water ratio for five textures 茅聢楼?from Cantonese "boat-water" (莽禄庐茫聝娄忙聦聣) to northern thick paste (莽禄聥莽聤碌忙聮颅) 茅聢楼?with regional preferences and cooking time.

'@ js=@' const TEX = { boat: { mul:18, name:'Boat-water (莽禄庐茫聝娄忙聦聣)', spoon:'Spoon-drinkable; rice grains float freely.' }, thin: { mul:10, name:'Thin (莽禄聥芒聜卢莽禄庐?', spoon:'Soup with rice; lifted on a spoon but pours off.' }, regular: { mul:8, name:'Regular', spoon:'Rice-heavy but still soup. Breakfast congee.' }, thick: { mul:6, name:'Thick (莽禄聥莽聤碌忙聮颅)', spoon:'Spoon stands upright if you stab it.' }, paste: { mul:4, name:'Paste (莽禄炉?', spoon:'Almost a rice pudding; eaten with a small spoon.' } }; const RICE = { white: { mul:1.0, pre:'Rinse once. No soak.' }, short: { mul:1.1, pre:'Rinse; 20-min soak reduces cooking time 15%.' }, brown: { mul:1.4, pre:'Rinse; 4-hour soak required. Add 1 tbsp white rice flour.' }, mixed: { mul:1.0, pre:'Rinse. Glutinous rice gives the silky texture Cantonese congee is known for.' } }; const METHOD = { pot: { time:'60茅聢楼?0 minutes uncovered', add:'Add 20% extra water 茅聢楼?uncovered cooking loses moisture.' }, ip: { time:'35 minutes high pressure + 10 min NPR release', add:'Use exact water; pressure locks in moisture.' }, rc: { time:'90 minutes on porridge/congee setting', add:'Most modern rice cookers have a congee mode 茅聢楼?use it.' } }; function render(){ const t = TEX[tex.value], r = RICE[rice.value], m = METHOD[method.value]; const g = Math.max(20, +gw.value || 100); const water = Math.round(g * t.mul * r.mul); const salt = Math.round(g * 0.008); toolOut.innerHTML = `
Water needed
${water} ml
茅聢庐?${(water/240).toFixed(1)} US cups.
Salt to add
${salt} g
Light seasoning. Side-dish salt comes later.
Time
${m.time}
${m.add}
Texture target: ${t.name}
${t.spoon}
Rice prep: ${r.pre}
Tip: Stir every 10 minutes on stovetop. If it thickens too much, add boiling water 茅聢楼?never cold.
`; } const tex=document.getElementById('tex'), rice=document.getElementById('rice'), gw=document.getElementById('gw'), method=document.getElementById('method'), toolOut=document.getElementById('tool-out'); document.getElementById('go').onclick=render; [tex,rice,gw,method].forEach(el=>el.oninput=render); render();
Advertisement slot 茅聢楼?clearly labelled, never disguised as content.

How to use this tool

Pick the texture you want (boat-water is the thinnest, paste is almost solid). Pick the rice. Enter how much rice you are starting with. Press Calculate.

What this solves 茅聢楼?and what it doesn't

Most congee recipes online give a single ratio 茅聢楼?usually 1:8 茅聢楼?and pretend every style of congee is the same. It is not. Cantonese 莽禄庐茫聝娄忙聦聣 (boat-water congee) is 1:18 rice to water. Northern 莽禄聥莽聤碌忙聮颅 is 1:5. Treating them the same gives you either wallpaper paste or flavored water.

Who this is for

Cooks making congee for breakfast, recovery meals, weaning babies, or sick days. Anyone whose first attempt was "either glue or soup".

How to read the result

The water number is the starting point. On a stovetop you will lose 10茅聢楼?0% of that to evaporation; the "add 20% extra" line in the time card handles that. Instant pot locks moisture in, so you use the exact number. If after 60 minutes it is still too thick, add a ladle of boiling water and stir.

Honest limitations

Common questions

Why rinse? Rinsing removes surface starch and keeps the congee from foaming over.

Can I use steel-cut oats instead? Yes, but it is not congee anymore 茅聢楼?that is just oatmeal. The ratios are similar.

What toppings work? For savory: scallion, ginger, century egg, fermented tofu, peanuts. For sweet: sugar, sesame oil, red bean. Avoid cheese or tomato.

More tools on Chinese Snack Lab

Mala Spice DecoderDumpling Wrapper DesignerSoup Dumpling (XLB) Gelatin RatioBoba Tea Sugar & Ice CalculatorMapo Tofu Spice Builder