It's the most important date in our diaries here at MOMA HQ: World Porridge Day! To recognise this special day, we're taking a look at how porridge is eaten around the world, from Scandinavia to Asia, and also sharing our favourite way to make a classic oat porridge.
Risgrøt
The Scandinavians show their appreciation for all things porridge by serving it on Christmas Eve. Rice and milk are boiled together with sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to make this sweet rice porridge. If you fancy swapping out your Christmas pudding for porridge then take a look at the recipe below.
What you need:
190g long grain white rice, 750ml water, 1.25 litres of whole milk (or our Barista oat drink would work well if dairy free), 70g caster sugar, pinch of salt, cinnamon to serve
How to make it:
Simmer the rice and water together for 10 minutes until most of the water has been absorbed. Turn the heat to medium and add the milk or dairy free alternative gradually, allowing it to absorb before adding the next. Cook for about an hour, and then serve with berries and cream.
Our next porridge tradition takes us stateside and savoury. Ground corn is used to make Grits, a hearty American dish mostly eaten in the south that dates back to the Native Americans. If you fancy mixing up your morning and trying out corn porridge for your next breakfast, take a look at this super simple recipe below:
What you need:
250g medium ground grits or fine cornmeal 50g butter 100g freshly grated cheese
How to make it:
Start by bringing a litre of water to the boil in a pan and the pour in your grits or cornmeal. Make sure that you stir the grits constantly so that they don’t catch on the pan and to avoid pesky lumps. Once the grits are thick, add in the butter and cheese (reserving a little for serving). Once these are blended into the grits add salt and pepper to taste.
Kasha
Now we travel to Eastern Europe to find out about one of the oldest dishes from this region. Kasha is a classic porridge enjoyed in Eastern European countries like Russia and Poland. This delicacy is made with buckwheat boiled in water or milk, so simple yet so tasty! If you fancy trying this nutritious savoury staple, check out the recipe below:
What you need:
50g toasted buckwheat 75ml milk or other non-dairy milk 30ml water
How to make it:
Throw everything into a medium sized saucepan and bring to boil. Put on the lid and turn the heat down to low. Leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the buckwheat has absorbed most of the liquid. Serve with your choice of mixed berries and a drizzle of honey.
Congee
Our next stop on the MOMA world porridge tour takes us to Asia. Congee is a savoury porridge made with rice that’s enjoyed in a variety of countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. This dish can enjoyed as a main meal or side with the additional of other ingredients. If you’re looking for a gateway Congee recipe, we’ve included a simple recipe below:
What you need:
1 cup of jasmine rice 2 litres of water Chicken or vegetable stock
How to do it:
First add the stock to the water in a pan and bring it to the boil. Then add washed rice to the pot and turn the heat down to low. Simmer the congee for 2-3 hours (the longer you boil it, the more the rice starts to break down and fall apart). Once the congee is cooked, add salt and pepper to taste then serve.
MOMA Jumbo Oat Porridge
For our final destination, we're circling back to our old favourite. Good old porridge oats. We use super chunky jumbo oats for all of our porridge to give it a creamy texture and taste, and our MOMA Jumbo Porridge Oats make a perfect blank canvas for adding toppings.
What you need:
40g MOMA Jumbo Oats, 190ml MOMA Original Oat Drink
How to make it:
We love making our porridge on the hob using our oat drink for an extra oaty flavour! Boil together on the hob for 5 minutes and enjoy with whatever tickles your fancy.
What's your favourite way to enjoy porridge? Celebrate World porridge Day with us and share your recipes on instagram @momafoods
