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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 meal in water, milk or both. Oat and semolina porridge are by far the most popular varieties. Some other meals 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.

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 cilantro, which has 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.

Varieties

See also

Dalia- North Indian Breakfast item, primarily made of crushed (dulit) wheat grain boiled with water and preferably milk, considered easily digestible,nursing.

Sources

 


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