White porridge should be regarded as the most traditional breakfast drink in Tengzhou. It is said to have originated during the Chu-Han War. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. Interestingly, whenever porridge is mentioned in Tengzhou, it must be this kind of white porridge, not the porridge in the broad sense. Therefore, white porridge is naturally called porridge in the local area.

Of course, the skill of cooking porridge is not something that most people can master in one or two times. The white porridge that is hot enough should be fragrant before it comes out of the pot. The cooked white porridge needs to be served in a special large porridge jar. This kind of jar is an extra-large pottery jar made of clay. The mouth and bottom are small, but the belly is huge. One jar can hold one or two hundred bowls.

At breakfast stalls on the streets of Tengzhou, the vats containing white porridge are usually wrapped in wheat straw and then covered with white cloth covers, which are both beautiful and able to keep warm. Even on a snowy day, the white porridge in the vat is still piping hot after being left for five or six hours; the spoon used to scoop the porridge is also very particular. Traditionally, one end is cut off from a thicker bamboo pole, leaving a section as the bottom and placed on the side. Tie a long wooden stick as a handle, a spoonful or a bowlful is enough.

In fact, the cooked white porridge is not pure white, but has a slight yellow color. The taste of white porridge is extremely attractive, mellow and delicate, mixed with the strong aroma of beans and rice. After finishing a bowl, looking at the bowl in your hand, it looks like it has just been washed. White porridge that does not stick to the bowl is considered superior to those in the know.