Porridge

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Porridge & Milk
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Porridge & Milk

Porridge is a simple dish made by boiling oats (normally crushed oats, occasionally oatmeal) or another cereal in water, milk or both. Oat and semolina porridge are in many countries the most popular varieties. Some other cereals used for porridge include rice, wheat, peasemeal, barley, and cornmeal.

In many cultures, it is eaten as a breakfast, often with the addition of sugar or cream. As the traditional breakfast of Scotland (where it is also spelled porage, after a popular brand name of oats) it is made with salt. Some manufacturers of breakfast cereal sell "ready-made" versions; aficionados question whether these can truly be called porridge. Gruel is a thin porridge made with water.

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[edit] Traditions and uses

Porridge is one of the easiest ways to digest grains or legumes, and is used traditionally in many cultures to nurse the sick back to health. This is especially true of rice congee in traditional Chinese medicine. Mixed with herbs such as coriander, which is claimed to have chelation properties, people who have heavy-metal poisoning from working in factories or mines are prescribed to eat this dish on a regular basis to maintain health.

It is standard in some cultures to eat a bowl of porridge the day after a night of communal heavy drinking such as New Year.

[edit] Varieties

[edit] See also

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  • Ready Brek - a popular British brand of instant shredded oat cereal
  • kasha (Russian word for porridge; an important part of Russian cuisine)
  • mush
  • "Pease Porridge Hot," a children's nursery rhyme
  • The Three Bears, a children's story featuring porridge (also Goldilocks and the Three Bears)
  • The No true Scotsman fallacy
  • Dalia, North Indian Breakfast item, primarily made of crushed (dulit) wheat grain boiled with water and preferably milk, considered easily digestible, nursing.[citation needed]
  • Gofio made from roasted sweetcorn and other grains (e.g wheat, barley or oat). Gofio is still an important ingredient in Canary Islander cooking, and Canary Islander emigrants have spread its use to the Caribbean and all of Latin America. Gofio can be added to soups, stews, desserts, ice cream, sauces, and more.

[edit] Sources