BARAKAT VIRRIE LANG PAD
Michael Weeder
There is an alchemy of love abundantly prevalent in a grain of rice. It is welcomed in the empty pots of Asia and Africa; in Europe and all of the global south. Rice is the equalising crown and footstool of globalisation, found on the tables of the poor as well as the very wealthy.
We grew up with very limited resources, so we often had experiences of a parent coming home to children lamenting that there’s no food, but not long afterwards there’d be a dish that will feed not only the family, but often the neighbours too. A component of that food provision is what we call the lang sous. Rice was often an essential part of that dish which makes for a lang sous, where an often very meagre meal becomes that which makes for abundance.
For a project of the Food Fairies Facebook group, the name we chose for our team is “Barakat virrie lang pad”. Barakat was chosen because, along with the word meaning “blessing”, it is also about the intention of the giver. That intention infuses the dish - that alchemy of love in the kitchen, often in the poorest of households, is affirmation that there’s a spirit of generosity. And long after the recipient has left, he/she will be mindful of the relationship that was established in the giving and in the receiving. In these times of change, that is the type of camaraderie we all need.
CONGEE (CHINESE RICE PORRIDGE)
Ambre Nicolson (from team Barakat virrie lang pad)
I’ve been fortunate to marry into a Taiwanese South African family. The recipe is a way to honour my late gran-in-law - she was a great lady who I knew as Ama. This dish called congee, is a savoury Chinese porridge and is very simple to make. All you need is rice and water, and you can choose any topping you like or prefer. I prefer to serve it with some spring onion.
• ½ cup (125 ml) rice, rinsed
• 4½ cups (1 125 ml) water
In a pot, stir the rice and water together and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer over low heat, with the lid of the pot slightly ajar. Stir occasionally. Simmer for about 30-50 minutes until the mixture is milky white, smooth and thick. You can make it as thick as
