Porage/Porridge

[Bondbug 32]

Some form of this must be more or less universal. Basically meal and water heated to a more or less thick paste. But even in GB the mixture varies greatly from North of Scotland to South of England, or did when I was younger - don't know what supermarket pressures for standardization have done since.

 

Porridge was oatmeal, water and salt up north, - oat flakes, milk and sugar in the south (a sort of milk pudding). There were stories of porridge 'up north' being made, put in a drawer to set, and then cut out in portions as required.

 

I was brought up in a midway section of GB. My porridge is also halfway.

 

So my porridge is made with medium ground oatmeal, water and salt, but served with milk and sugar.

 

I no longer stir the milk into it or pour the milk round the porridge and make a floating island of it, but keep the milk separate in a cup and dip each spoonful so the milk is still cool and fresh and preserves it's taste.

 

So how do you a) make your porridge and b) serve it?

[chattius 2,530]

I think porridge is like our Haferbrei. Hafer= oat, Brei = dried plant pieces which get volume when boiled in water and get a sticky consistence. So Haferbrei would be oat pieces boiled in water.

 

We differ between

 

Haferbrei = porridge?

Haferschleim = oat slime - finer oat pieces boiled till they are 'slimy'(=Schleim)

Hafersuppe = soup from oat pieces

 

We do Haferbrei and Haferschleim mainly if someone is ill- vomiting and such, who has to get back water and energy. We eat Hafersuppe even when not ill and my favourite is the one we do at volunteer firefighters. We make it as an iron ration when we are called at bad weather and don't know how long it will take. The firefighter building contains a clubhouse/pub where people from out small citizen meet. So beer is served from barrels. In germany we like it cold with foam so once the pressure is too low there is always a rest of beer remaining in the barrel.

 

So the solution is: Doing a Bierhafersuppe ( beer oat-soup), replacing the water with the beer which has not enough gas/pressure anymore

 

4 fine cut apples, 4 fine cut carrots, 4 fine cut potatoes boiled in 2litres beer

 

to thicken it at bit add 200gramm rolled oats when the herbs are boiled and 6 tea spoons of herb broath powder

 

a cup of cream and a cup of Rahm (like sour cream) are twirled in once the oats sucked up enough water (beer in our case)

 

spice it with some pepper and cardamon when done

 

Tasty, lot of energy , and the reserve team will bring some in 3 litres thermo bottles when needed.

 

But I wonder if a thick oat soup qualifies as porridge.

[essjayehm 58]

In recent memory, I've only ever had the 'instant' oatmeal from the supermarket. But thinking back to my childhood, I have had some more traditional helpings of boiled rolled oats with various flavourings (maple syrup, berries) but have no idea how they were prepared, etc... sorry.

 

A necessary breakfast for facing those -40^oC winter days...

[Sirius 16]

We have our own kind of porridge in Norway.

It's a powerful meal that dates back to the 1300's.

During Christmas, it's popular for farmers to put a bowl of hot porridge in front of their barn for the "barn-goblin" to eat, so that he won't cause any commotion or hurt the animals.

The most common porridge in Norway is made out of rice and milk, and boiled into a thick stew that is sure to fill any stomach.

 

It is usually served with sugar, cinnamon, butter and/or raisins.

 

[cider_steve 26]

I pour half a mug of 100% organic wholegrain oat flakes into a saucepan and add one and a half mugs of tap water. I bring to the boil and then simmer for ten minutes whilst stirring constantly. To this I add a drop of skimmed milk and a tea spoon of ground cinnamon.

 

I have been eating this for breakfast for around five weeks. I'm doing it to help my health and the cinnamon will aid that.

 

I don't add anything else to my porridge ( oats, water, milk, cinnamon)

 

The plan is that this will lower both my blood/sugar level and also my cholesterol..................at least that's the plan !

 

Started off as a bit of a chore, as I was used to either skipping breakfast in favour of grabbing something from the works canteen later, like a bacon sandwich, or having a quick bowl of cereal.

 

It is easy enough on my late shift, but on the early shift I have to get up an extra fifteen minutes early, so 5:15............*yawn*

 

Now that I have been doing it for a little while and have a routine, it is not only quite a simple task, but actually rather enjoyable. I have learnt that it is definitely best to soak the pan immediately after pouring out the porridge..............tough cleaning elsewise !

 

Steve.

[Stormwing 40]

Sirius: Quite the same as our rice porrige in Christmas time.

 

Guess that most common around here would be oat porrige. As thick/thin one likes to make it. Usually with some butter and/or sugar. Also, we use rye and wheat at times too.

[Delta! 987]

In South Africa, we have a number of versions of porridge, or pap as it is called in Sunny South Africa!

We have the normal porridge, (slap pap) made with lots of water, salt and maize (mielie meel -> rough ground flour from corn, similar to Italian polenta, just white) that has a runny consistency and is eaten more often by white people with sugar, butter and milk.

Then there is (stywe pap), a firm porridge, made with less water, mielie meel, and salt(black people omit the salt) and it is eaten with meat(mince, pork rashers, sausage, wors, and white people like it especially with Braai vleis/barbeque) and "sheba"('n sauce made with onions, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and something that adds a bit of a kick like chilli) black people consider this their staple food, and will have it every day!

"pap, wors en sheba"

 

Then there is also Putu pap/krummelpap(crumbed porridge), made with only a little bit of water, salt, a drop of oil, and mielie meel, the meel is dropped in the hot water, but not mixed in immediately,, most of it, infact should not even be covered by the water. a lid is placed on top and the pap is steamed, after about 30min, the pap is stirred and mixed properly. it is a very dry form of pap, and best eaten with lots of milk/sauce/sheba.

Oats, I love oats, havent't had it in a very long time though, but mostly served with some sugar, milk and butter melted in, very nutritious.

 

and South Africans are very creative with food, pap has been made into plenty of forms here, baked into "paptert"(porridge tart) with onions, mushrooms, tomato and cheese melted over the top, deep fried in balls, pan fried in patties...

 

Delta!

[Bondbug 32]

Wow - I never expected such a variety of responses or interpretations of the term "porridge".

 

Sirius' version is a typical English rice pudding, raisins and all! Chattius has umpteen versions - I have a feeling that his thick oatmeal 'soup' is not far off our version. I remember that quite often it was prepared the day before and left to thicken/set overnight - you could get up slightly later Steve - but it need constant stirring while reheating. Reheating can be done over boiling water in a two tier pan, and can be left to heat while you do something else.

 

The other versions - wow - magic.

 

But I personally will have to leave it there for now - away for three weeks from tomorrow.

[Legend Aadil 4]

READYBREK!

I miss that 'cereal' which was ready made back then, I wonder if it's still available in supermarkets.

[gogoblender 3,071]

Wow - I never expected such a variety of responses or interpretations of the term "porridge".

 

 

 

 

I was surprised as well. It looks like the little bowl of goodness has made it's way across the world in all manner of forms, and interesting twists.

 

Of course, me being me, was was waiting for my perfect contribution.

 

And here it is:

 

 

Do I dare?

 

 

gogo

[podgie_bear 184]

Depends on how strong your stomach is doesn't it?

[chattius 2,530]

The cold variant is named Müsli in german.

 

 

 

Without grains and liquid there is a variant named Studentenfutter (student food) known by students for centuries: a mix of dried fruits and nuts. Actually in the learning phase at university it was close to my only food. No fatty finger which would ruin books from library,no need to warm it up or mix it with liquid. So there was no need to leave room from learning. The english wiki for Studentenfutter connects to 'trail mix' which is not quite the same.

 

[Presley1 0]

l am on a diet and l have been eating porridge but sugar is too fattening and l want to add something else to it that is tasty and healthy. l was thinking of some chopped bananas and strawberries, but what else? That is really tasty and delicious.

[gogoblender 3,071]

l am on a diet and l have been eating porridge but sugar is too fattening and l want to add something else to it that is tasty and healthy. l was thinking of some chopped bananas and strawberries, but what else? That is really tasty and delicious.

 

Presley have you considered savory porridge? The non sweet version or porridge... being more of a salty meal than sweet. Fruits and nuts on to of porridge would work out well, and if you're looking to have that "full" feeling that porridge adds, perhaps changing up the kinds of porridge would add to the variety in your diet as well?

 

 

gogo