Editing Porridge (section)

==History==

Historically, porridge was a [[staple food]] in much of the world, including Europe, Africa and Asia, and it remains a staple food in many parts of the world, it becoming commonplace in agricultural societies that practice grain cultivation starting from the [[Neolithic]] period and onward.{{fact|date=July 2022}} The dish has traditionally been closely associated with [[Scotland]], possibly because oats can be successfully cultivated on marginal upland soils.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Welch |editor1-first=R.W. |date=1995 |title=The Oat Crop: Production and Utilization |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wNTyCAAAQBAJ&pg=PA16 |location=Dordrecht |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |pages=15–16 |isbn=978-0412373107 }}</ref> In 1775, Dr. [[Samuel Johnson]] wrote that oats were "a grain which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people".<ref>{{cite book |last=Green |first=Jonathan |date=2014 |title=Scottish Miscellany: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ZP_DQAAQBAJ&pg=PT96 |location=New York |publisher=Skyhorse Publishing |page=96 |isbn=978-1628737196 }}</ref> Oats were introduced to Scotland in about 600 AD; traces of barley porridge have been found in pots excavated in the [[Outer Hebrides]] which have been dated to 2,500 years ago.<ref>{{cite book |last=Macdonald |first=Fiona |date= 13 December 2011|title=Scotland, A Very Peculiar History – Volume 1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cMC7BAAAQBAJ&pg=PT47 |location=Brighton |publisher=Book House |page=47 |isbn=978-1906370916 }}</ref>

===Northern Europe===
[[File:Mulgipuder.jpg|thumb|left|Traditional [[Estonian cuisine|Estonian]] rustic porridge ''Mulgipuder'' made with [[potatoes]], [[Groat (grain)|groats]] and [[meat]] is known as a national dish of [[Estonia]].]]
[[File:Bukstiņputra.jpg|thumb|right|Traditional [[Latvian cuisine|Latvian]] [[barley]] [[grits|grit]] porridge with [[milk]], potatoes and [[speck]] (''bukstiņputra'')]]
Historically, porridge was a [[staple food]] in much of Northern Europe and Russia. It was often made from [[barley]], though other grains and yellow peas could be used, depending on local conditions. It was primarily a savoury dish, with meats, root crops, vegetables and herbs added for flavor. Porridge could be cooked in a large metal [[kettle]] over hot coals or heated in a cheaper [[earthenware]] container by adding hot stones until boiling hot. Until [[Leavening agent|leavened]] bread and baking ovens became commonplace in Europe, porridge was a typical means of preparing cereal crops for the table.{{Cn|date=July 2021}}

Porridge was also commonly provided for [[prison food|breakfast]] for inmates in the British prison system, and so "doing porridge" became a slang term for a sentence in prison.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2018/may/01/has-porridge-really-been-banned-from-a-prison-for-security-reasons|title=Porridge no longer on the menu for those doing porridge|publisher=Guardian|language=en|author=Martin Belam|date=1 May 2018|access-date=5 December 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foodreference.com/html/british-prison-food.html|title=The Best of British Prison Food 1|publisher=Food Reference|language=en|author=Bill Robinson|access-date=5 December 2019}}</ref>