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Porridge, grits, oatmeal – many names, one success story

Porridge, grits, oatmeal – many names, one success story

Porridge has been part of human history for a long time, after all it is now assumed that people started cooking cereal-like grasses around 12,000 years ago. The dish has established itself in numerous countries around the world, especially in Scotland, the porridge, which was long considered “poor man’s food”, was widespread. And it still is, because the climatic conditions there are ideal for growing oats and barley.

Quarrel over the oatmeal

How important porridge actually was for the diet of large parts of the population is also underlined by the numerous customs that have grown up around its preparation: For example, it was said to bring good luck to stir the porridge with only your right hand and in a clockwise direction. In the Middle Ages, porridge polarized people and stirred up tempers: in the 16th century, a discussion broke out between the two doctors Hieronymus Bock and Lorenz Fries about how rich oatmeal really was. Lorenz Fries’ judgment was devastating – he pointed out that oatmeal was wrongly given for all kinds of illnesses because it was of no use. Finally, he advises the readers of his work “Mirror of Medicine”: “Let the horses eat the oats.”

This is contradicted by Hieronymus Bock, who writes in his herbal book of 1539 how healthy oats are, especially in comparison to other sweets. It is no longer possible to say with certainty whether Lorenz Fries’ negative attitude was only due to his personal dislike – in any case, this did not detract from the success of porridge.

Today we know porridge mainly in the form in which it was and is traditionally prepared in Scotland. However, it is not only popular hot (or lukewarm and even cold) in Great Britain, but also very popular worldwide, especially for breakfast. There are countless recipes, so there is a tasty variation for almost every taste – whether as warm oatmeal or oatmeal soaked in cold milk for the preparation of overnight oats.

In addition, as we now know with certainty, it has numerous positive effects on our well-being, as it contains, among other things, the valuable dietary fiber beta-glucan, which is said to have a cholesterol-lowering effect

So it’s easy to see why porridge has been a staple of many people’s diets for thousands of years. It fills you up for a long time and is easy to prepare – but above all it’s really good.

basic recipe

The classic porridge is a warm breakfast porridge. Oat flakes are boiled with milk and/or water and only refined with a pinch of salt. The flakes can also be lightly toasted in a pan beforehand. Now you can refine the porridge according to taste – with honey or fruit, chocolate, nuts, spices. More ideas and recipes at www.verival.de

Source: Nachrichten

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