Book of Days Tales

Today is World Porridge Day. The first of such days was held in 2009, organized to raise funds for the charity Mary’s Meals, based in Argyll in Scotland, to aid starving children in developing countries. The organization “feeds the nutrient-rich maize-based porridge Likuni Phala to about 320,000 children in Malawi each year.”

Porridge (or porage in lowland Scots), is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavorings such as sugar, honey, fruit, or syrup to make a sweet cereal, or it can be mixed with spices, meat, or vegetables to make a savory dish. It is usually served hot in a bowl, depending on its consistency. Oat porridge, or oatmeal, is one of the most common types of porridge. Gruel is a thinner version of porridge and congee is a savory variation of porridge of Asian origin using rice.

Growing up, a bowl of Scott’s porage oats was a standard breakfast for me in the cold winter months.  My father – a Scot – ate his plain with only a sprinkle of salt.  I ate mine with a dose of brown sugar, and the rest of the family added milk and sugar.  I knew of the possibility of adding some fruit, such as a cut up banana, but we never got that far in my house.  Cooking the rolled oats was, however, one of the first jobs I was entrusted with in the kitchen by the age of about 12 or so. 

Nowadays, hot mushy grains do not appeal to me, and, in fact, I have never so much as touched the various forms of rice porridge available in Asia.  I could, however, be persuaded to make, and eat, barley porridge if the need arose.  Barley works as well as oats for porridge, and is high in fiber and nutrients.  But . . . it takes a long time to prepare.  To make a sweet version, soak pearl barley in water overnight, then in the morning put the needed quantity of barley grains on to cook, barely covered with water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for one hour (or until the grains are soft) checking the water level periodically so that the pot does not dry out.  You can add some cinnamon and sugar to the cooking process if you like, and you can add chopped fruit to the finished grains – including dried figs and dates if you want a Middle Eastern version.  Or . . . you can cook the barley in broth with some added meat (and vegetables if you wish) for a savory version.  This is my preference.  On that note, remember that you can also cook porridge oats in broth and serve them up with meat and vegetables.  Your choice.