Porridge[1]is afoodmade by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typicallygrain,in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal, or it can be mixed with spices, meat, or vegetables to make asavourydish. It is usually served hot in a bowl, depending on its consistency. Oat porridge, oroatmeal,is one of the most common types of porridge.Gruelis a thinner version of porridge andcongeeis a savoury variation of porridge ofAsianorigin.
Porridge
A bowl of oatmeal porridge
Course
Breakfast
Serving temperature
Hot
Main ingredients
Starchy plants (e.g. grain), water or milk, flavourings
The term "porridge" is used inBritish English(Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) specifically for oatmeal. This is a hot mixture of oatmeal or oats slowly cooked with water or milk.[2]It is typically eaten for breakfast by itself or with other ingredients, including salt, sugar, fruit, milk, cream, or butter.
Other grains used for porridge include rice, wheat (cracked wheat porridge is also known asfrumenty),barley,corn,triticaleandbuckwheat.Many types of porridge have their own names, such as congee (rice),polenta (maize)andpoi(fromTaro).[2]
Unenriched porridge (as oatmeal), cooked by boiling or microwave, is 84% water, and contains 12%carbohydrates,including 2%dietary fiberand 2% each ofproteinandfat(table). In a 100 g (3.5 oz) reference amount, cooked porridge provides 71Caloriesand contains 26% of theDaily Value(DV) formanganese,with no othermicronutrientsin significant content (table).
A 2014 review found that daily intake of at least 3 grams of oatbeta-glucanlowers total andlow-density lipoproteincholesterollevels by 5–10% in people with normal or elevatedblood cholesterollevels.[8]Beta-glucan lowers cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol production, although cholesterol reduction is greater in people with higher total cholesterol andLDL cholesterolin their blood.[8]In the United States, theFood and Drug Administrationissued a final ruling in 2015 stating that food companies can makehealth claims on food labelsfor products containingsoluble fiberfrom whole oats (oat bran, oat flour and rolled oats), noting that 3.0 grams of soluble fiber daily from these foods may reduce the risk ofheart disease.[9]To qualify for the health claim, the food that contains the oats must provide at least 0.75 grams of soluble fiber per serving.[9]
Colada,a hot dish prepared withcorn starch,milk, sugar andcinnamonin Colombia and Ecuador.
Cornmealmush,a traditional dish in southern and mid-Atlantic US states.
Cornmeal porridge (parrige), a traditional dish served for breakfast throughout theCaribbeanand amongRastafarians.A blend of fine semolina with milk or water and often with all spice and sugar.
Farinaorpapilla,a traditional Dominican dish of porridge maize or grass peas.
Gachas,a Spanish porridge of maize or grass peas. Often garnished with roasted almonds andcroutonsof bread fried in olive oil.[10]
Gofio,aCanary Islandsporridge of toasted coarse-ground maize. Made from roasted sweetcorn and other grains (e.g., wheat, barley or oats), used in many ways in parts of the world from which Canary Islanders have emigrated.
Grits,groundhominy,is common in the southern United States, traditionally served with butter, salt and black pepper. Sometimes, it is also prepared with cheese.
Polenta,an Italian maize porridge which is cooked to a solidified state and sliced for serving.
Rubaboois made from dried maize and peas with animal fat and was a staple food of theVoyageurs.
Shuco,a Salvadoran dish of black, blue or purple corn flour, groundpumpkinseeds,chili sauceand red cookedkidney beans,which was traditionally drunk out of a hollowed-out gourd at early morning, especially coming from a hunting or drinking trip.
Suppawn,also called, and better known as,hasty pudding,was common inAmerican colonial timesand consisted of cornmeal boiled with milk into a thick porridge. Still eaten in modern times, it is no longer necessarily corn-based.
Uji,a thick East African porridge made most commonly from corn flour mixed with sorghum and many other different ground cereals, with milk or butter and sugar or salt.Ugali,a more solid meal, is also made from maize flour, likewise often mixed with other cereals. These two, under various names, arestaple foodsover a wide part of the African continent, e.g.,papin South Africa,sadzaorisitshwalain Zimbabwe,nshimain Zambia, tuwo or ogi in Nigeria, etc., though some of these may also be made fromsorghum.
Oatmeal with raisins, butter, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, and shredded coconutOat porridge,traditional and common in theEnglish-speaking world,Germanyand theNordic countries.[12]Oat porridge has been found in the stomachs of 5,000-year-oldNeolithicbog bodiesin Central Europe and Scandinavia.[13]Varieties of oat porridge include:
Groats,a porridge made from unprocessed oats or wheat.
Gruel, very thin porridge, often drunk rather than eaten.
Yod Kerc'h, a traditional oat porridge from the north-west of France, primarilyBrittany,made with oats, butter and water or milk.[14]
Owsianka, an east European (Russia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine) traditionalbreakfastmade with hotmilk,oats and sometimes withsugarandbutter.
Porridge made fromrolled oatsor ground oatmeal is common in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Finland and Scandinavia. It is known as simply "porridge" or, more commonly in the United States and Canada, "oatmeal".In the US, oat and wheat porridge can both be called" hot cereal ". Rolled oats are commonly used in England, oatmeal in Scotland andsteel-cut oatsin Ireland.[15]In theRoyal Navyduring theNapoleonic Wars,cooks madeburgoofor the men for breakfast, from coarse oatmeal and water.[16][17]
Porridge (Parrige) – Anglophone Caribbean (Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad etc.) Also known as Pap. The most common type iscorn meal,and they are always made with milk. Varieties include oatmeal, grated green plantain, barley, cream of wheat, sago (tapioca). Oatmeal porridge is often flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar or almond essence.
Stirabout – Irish porridge, traditionally made by stirring oats into boiling water
Oats for porridge may be whole (groats), cut into two or three pieces (called "pinhead", "steel-cut" or "coarse" oatmeal), ground into medium or fineoatmealor steamed and rolled into flakes of varying sizes and thicknesses (called "rolled oats", the largest size being "jumbo" ). The larger the pieces of oat used, the more textured the resulting porridge. It is said that, because of their size and shape, the body breaks steel-cut oats down more slowly than rolled oats, reducing spikes inblood sugarand making the eater feel full longer.[18]The USConsumer ReportsWeb site found that the more cooking required, the stronger the oat flavor and the less mushy the texture.[19]
Oats are a good source of dietary fibre; health benefits are claimed foroat branin particular, which is part of the grain.
The oats are cooked in milk, water or a mixture of the two.Scottishtraditionalists allow only oats, water and salt.[20]There are techniques suggested by cooks, such as presoaking, but a comparative test found little difference in the end result.[20]Various flavourings can be used and may vary widely by taste and locality.Demerara sugar,golden syrup,Greek yoghurtandhoneyare common. Cold milk or single cream may be used.[20]
Champorado,a sweet chocolate rice porridge in Filipino cuisine. It is traditionally made by boiling sticky rice with cocoa powder, giving it a distinctly brown color and usually with milk and sugar to make it taste sweeter.
Congee,a common East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian dish of boiled-down rice:
In Bangladesh congee is prepared simply as a porridge, Whole rice (not parboiled, scented or unscented) with a bit of salt, it is known as "Jao" eaten as wholesome diet for the sick. Added date tree sugar and garam masala it is called "Kheer", Or, cooked with Sugar, Milk, nuts & raisins, cardamom, Cassia, cinnamon, Indian bay leaf, etc. it is called "Paiesh". Both "Kheer" & "Paiesh" are eaten as Dessert.
In Sri Lanka congee is prepared with many ingredients. As a porridge, Sinhala people mainly use coconut milk with rice flour, it is known as "Kiriya."
Indonesian and Malaysian congee, calledbubur,comes in many regional varieties, such as bubur sumsum, made from rice flour boiled with coconut milk then served with palm sugar sauce; and also buburmanadoortinutuan,a rice porridge mixed with various vegetables and eaten with fried salted fish and chili sauce. There is also congee made frommung beans,calledbubur kacang hijauor congee with chicken calledbubur ayam
Japanese congee, calledkayu,is mixed withsaltand green onions. Often accompanied with variety of foods such astsukemono(preserved vegetables),shiokara(preserved seafoods) and so on.
Korean congee, calledjuk,can have added seafood, pine nuts, mushrooms, etc.
Thai congee, called "khao tom" (ข้าวต้ม), or "Jok" (โจ๊ก), can have added coriander, preserved duck eggs, fish sauce, slicedchili peppers,pickled mustard greens or salt cabbage preserves, red pepper flakes, etc.
Vietnamese congee, calledcháo,can be made withbeeforchickenstock and containsfish sauceandginger.It is often served withscallionsand fried sticks of bread.
Filipino congee, calledlugaworarroz caldo,containssaffron,gingerand sometimes meat. Less common ingredients include boiled eggs, pepper, chilies,puto,lumpiang toge,tofu,fish sauce,calamansisauce,toyoand spring onions. It is common as a street food.
Ambrosia Creamed Rice,a UK brand of tinned rice dessert, made of rice, sugar and milk/cream, since 1937.[22]
Kheer(or Payasam), a traditional Indian sweet dish, made of rice boiled in milk.
Frescarelli,an Italian dish made of overcooked rice and white flour, typical ofMarche.
Orez în lapte(Romania), a dessert made with rice boiled in milk with sugar, sometimes flavored with cinnamon, jam, cocoa powder, etc.
Tejberizs (Hungary), made with milk, sugar and usually vanilla. Served with cocoa and sugar
Risengrynsgrøt or simply Risgrøt (Scandinavia), a warm dish made with white rice cooked in milk. Served with cinnamon, sugar, and a small knob of butter.
Riskrem or rice cream dessert (Scandinavia), traditional dessert during theChristmasseason. Made with cold rice porridge mixed withwhipped creamand sweetened with sugar. InSweden,sometimes mixed withoranges.InDenmark,it is typically mixed withvanillaand choppedalmonds,and typically served with hot or chilledcherrysauce. In Norway, the dessert is served with chilledstrawberryorraspberrysauce.
Mabela, a sorghum porridge eaten typically for breakfast inSouth Africaand Zimbabwe. Maltabella is a brand name for a sorghum porridge manufactured byBokomo Foods
Tolegi, a sorghum porridge eaten as a midday meal during the summer inNew Guinea.
Tuwo or ogi, aNigeriansorghum porridge that may also be made from maize.
Cream of Wheat,a brand of American wheat porridge, boiled in milk or water with sugar or salt; also calledfarinaor "hot cereal" (a term also applied to oat porridge).
Dalia, a simple porridge made out of cracked wheat, is a common breakfast in northern India and Pakistan. It is cooked in milk or water and eaten with salt or sugar added.
Frumenty,a boiled wheat porridge eaten inRomantimes, sometimes with fruit or meat added.
Gris cu lapte(Romania), dessert made withsemolinaboiled in milk with sugar added, sometimes flavored with jam, raisins, dried fruit, cinnamon powder, etc.
Tejbegríz (Hungary),semolinadessert cooked with milk, usually with sugar and topped with cocoa or cinnamon powder, etc.
Mannapuuro,a traditional Finnish dessert made withsemolina.
Semolina porridge,eaten in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia, is made of milk, semolina and sugar. In France, Semolina may be cooked without sugar but served instead with a large spoon of jam on top or in the centre of the bowl, that may be swirled through the dish prior to consuming it.
Sour creamporridge, a Norwegian porridge of wheat flour in cooked sour cream with a very smooth and slightly runny texture. It is served with sugar,cinnamon,cured meats or evenhard-boiled eggsdepending on local custom. This is the same recipe for what is called Bechamel in France and treated as a sauce for savoury dishes.
Velvet porridgeor butter porridge, a Norwegian dish: a generous amount of whiterouxis made from wheat flour and butter, adding milk until it can be served as a thick porridge.
Garri,flour made fromcassavaroot, can be soaked in water or milk, and is popular as a snack inWest Africa.
Kasha,a widely consumed groats/porridge range of dishes, utilising a variety of grains, widespread inEastern Europeand Russia.
English speakers frequently reserve the term "kasha"forbuckwheatporridge, made of buckwheat in butter, as eaten by many people in Russia and Ukraine, with yoghurt more common in the Caucasus.
Genfo is a thick porridge made by lightly roasting, milling and cooking any combination of Ethiopian oats, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, maize,chickpeas,yellow peas,soybeans,or bulla, the starch from the root of thefalse bananatree; it is traditionally eaten for breakfast with a dollop of clarified, spiced butter (kibe) or oil and chili-spice mixberbere,or with yoghurt. For those who can afford it, it is a popular holiday or Sunday breakfast dish and is often given to pregnant women and women after birthing to bring them back to health and strength.
Atmit, Muk or Adja is a thinner version of Genfo porridge for drinking, mixed often with spiced, clarified butter, milk and honey, or on its own with a pinch of salt. It is popular in the rainy season and for nursing the sick back to health.
Besso, made of roasted and ground barley is a popular snack for travellers and, in olden times, foot soldiers. The powder is either mixed with a bit of water, salt and chili powder to make a thick bread-like snack or mixed with more water or milk and honey for drinking. TheGurageand other southern tribes in Ethiopia ferment the Besso for a few days with water and a bit of sugar, add a pinch of salt and chili and drink it as a fortifying and energising meal-in-a-drink.
Multigrain Porridge
This consists of roasted rice, wheat, roasted gram, jowar, maize, millet, groundnut, cashewnut, corn, barley and ragi and is prepared by roasting all the ingredients individually in a pan without using any ghee or oil, then grinding them together into a coarse powder.
This porridge is described as being rich in protein and good for children.
Potatoporridge, eaten in Norway, is a thick, almost solid paste made from cooked potatoes mixed with milk and barley.
Helmipuuro( "pearl porridge" ) is a porridge made from grains ofpotato starchswelled in milk into ca. five-mm "pearls", traditionally found in Russia and Finland.
In Nigeria the words porridge andpottageare synonymous, and it is consumed as a main meal. Nigerian yam porridge/pottage includes tomatoes and other culinary vegetables along with the yam. It may also have fish or other meat.[23]
Historically, porridge was astaple foodin much of the world, including Europe, Africa and Asia, and it remains a staple food in many parts of the world, it becoming commonplace in agricultural societies that practice grain cultivation starting from theNeolithicperiod and onward.[citation needed]The dish has traditionally been closely associated withScotland,possibly because oats can be successfully cultivated on marginal upland soils.[24]In 1775, Dr.Samuel Johnsonwrote that oats were "a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people".[25]Oats were introduced to Scotland in about 600 AD; traces of barley porridge have been found in pots excavated in theOuter Hebrideswhich have been dated to 2,500 years ago.[26]
Historically, porridge was astaple foodin much of Northern Europe and Russia. It was often made frombarley,though other grains and yellow peas could be used, depending on local conditions. It was primarily a savoury dish, with meats, root crops, vegetables and herbs added for flavor. Porridge could be cooked in a large metalkettleover hot coals or heated in a cheaperearthenwarecontainer by adding hot stones until boiling hot. Untilleavenedbread and baking ovens became commonplace in Europe, porridge was a typical means of preparing cereal crops for the table.[citation needed]
Porridge was also commonly provided forbreakfastfor inmates in the British prison system during the 19th century and early 20th century, and so "doing porridge" became a slang term for a sentence in prison.[27][28]
^National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.).Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium.The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US).ISBN978-0-309-48834-1.PMID30844154.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2024.Retrieved21 June2024.
^The Danish cultural historianTroels Frederik Lund(1840–1921) published a work later known as "Everyday Life in the North". In his comments (1883) about the development of foods, he highlights porridge as one of the oldest Nordic meals. No other meal is described as frequently as this "from the moment the written sources begun." See:Troels-Lund, Troels Frederik(1883). "Fødemidler".Danmark og Norges Historie i Slutningen af det 16de Aarhundrede[History of Denmark and Norway to the End of the Sixteenth Century] (in Danish). Copenhagen: C.A. Reitzel.ISBN978-1247189857.
