History of Nanjing’s Meiling Porridge

Meiling porridge (美齡粥 měi líng zhōu), white as snow, is a well-known Chinese comfort food in Nanjing. The porridge is fragrant and smooth, nourishing to both your stomach and your face.

The two characters “Meiling”(美齡 měi líng) in “Meiling Porridge”(美齡粥 měi líng zhōu) come from Song Mei-ling, the wife of Chang Kai Shek during the Republic Era. It is believed Song Mei-ling suffered from persistent feelings of melancholy, causing her to lose her appetite.

To combat Song Mei-ling’s depression, Chang Kai-Shek requested the chefs at the presidential palace to prepare porridge for Song Mei-ling using only the finest ingredients like rice, soy milk, lily, and yam. The porridge required a long simmering process to enhance its flavor and give it a fresh and sweet taste. 

Due to its skin-whitening and nourishing effects, the porridge was beloved by Song Mei-ling and named after her “Meiling Porridge.”

Nanjing Impressions’ Meiling Porridge

A famous restaurant in Nanjing, 南京大排檔 (Nánjīng dàpái dàng) or Nanjing Impressions signature dish is Meling porridge. The restaurant has also opened a location in Singapore.

Nanjing Impressions is committed to creating an ambient atmosphere and quality food. The unique space boasts a Qing Dynasty-inspired tea parlour backdrop, which complements the menu.

The picture below shows the ambiance of a Chinese restaurant with round wooden tables, waiters in traditional Qing Dynasty attire, and hanging lanterns that set the mood for enjoying Chinese comfort food.

If you get the chance to go to Nanjing or Singapore, you can go and try it! Of course, making sweet Meiling porridge at home is also not complicated, and there are many recipes to find online.

Check out another post on the origins of Beijing’s stinky tofu if you haven’t had enough of Chinese food!