Oriental people often give it to those who are ill, regarding it somewhat in the same way as westerners traditionally regard chicken soup.

Ah, yes. I would call it a comfort food. In my environs, it's rather easily obtained, but there is a huge and well-established Cantonese community here. One of the best places to get jook (though it is not mentioned on the menu) is at a local casino where one can often see folks playing pai gow and eating congee. For invalids, plain jook is usual, but for the healthy (and especially at Sunday brunch) all sorts of things can be added, directly or as side dishes: e.g., fried wheat gluten, seafood, preserved eggs, pig's blood.

Ceci n'est pas un seing.