Laba Porridge

Laba porridge is a traditional food associated with the Laba Festival. Also known as Buddha’s Porridge or Everyone’s Porridge, it is a porridge made by simmering a variety of ingredients together. 

The origins of Laba porridge are closely associated with the story of Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism. According to legend, before attaining enlightenment, Siddhartha practiced asceticism for six years. One day, weakened by his austerities, he collapsed and was helped by a shepherdess who fed him porridge, restoring his strength. To commemorate the event, Buddhists began preparing porridge as an offering to the Buddha on that day each year. The practice later spread among the wider population and gradually evolved into the tradition of eating Laba porridge during the Laba Festival. 

There is no fixed recipe for Laba porridge. Different regions have developed their own distinctive versions according to local ingredients and tastes. In northern China, sweet versions are the most common, often made with glutinous millet, rice, millet, red dates, lotus seeds, longan, walnuts, and red beans, resulting in a soft, rich, and sweet porridge. In Jiangsu, both sweet and savory versions are popular, with savory varieties often containing leafy vegetables, arrowhead, and water chestnuts. Shanghai has two traditional varieties: fine Laba, made with glutinous rice, brown sugar, and 18 kinds of dried fruits, and coarse Laba, which includes vegetables, tofu, carrots, and other ingredients. 

Preparing Laba porridge is an elaborate process. People often begin on the evening of the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month by washing the rice, soaking the dried fruits, peeling and pitting ingredients, and carefully selecting each component. Around midnight, the cooking begins. The porridge is first brought to a boil over high heat and then simmered over low heat until the following morning, when it is finally ready. 

A bowl of Laba porridge warms not only the body in winter, but also a cultural tradition that has endured for thousands of years.