Wei Xi Fan

Wei Xi Fan is a Chinese ethnic dish from the region of Hunan, China. It is a creamy, thin-bodied porridge of rice, oxtail, and spices, usually hot peppers and shallots, depending on the time of day and side-dishes. Its name translates literally as "tail congee," and it is usually billed as such in older English-language cookbooks.

Preparation
As for other congees from central China, the rice must be boiled several times in large amounts of water over the course of several days before it creams properly in the mouth; unlike most types of gruel, however, and like all Hunan cuisine, wei xi fan is hot and spicy, as new peppers are added throughout the boiling period. The meat is parboiled and added, together with the rest of the seasoning, only after the broth is ready.

Folk Medicine
The soup is widely used as a decongestant and comfort food (cf. chicken soup). In more rural areas, it is common to inhale the vapours given off by the steamy wei xi fan, sometimes with epimedium, as a mild aphrodisiac, maintaining virility and a strong constitution in general. Perhaps related to this belief (or to the spiciness of the food) is the common mealtime contest between young children to see who can gobble the meat of wei xi fan sooner.

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