Editing Porridge

{{Short description|Food}}
{{For-multi|the specific dish with medieval roots|pottage|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox food
| name               = Porridge
| image              = File:Oatmeal (1).jpg
| image_size         = 250px
| caption            = Oatmeal porridge
| alternate_name     = 
| region             = Scotland
| creator            = 
| course             = Breakfast
| type               = 
| served             = Hot
| main_ingredient    = Starchy plants (e.g. grain), water or milk, flavourings
| variations         = 
| calories           = 
| other              = 
}}
'''Porridge'''<ref name = "oed" /> 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 flavourings 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 [[Savoury (dish)|savoury]] dish. It is usually served hot in a bowl, depending on its consistency. Oat porridge, (known as [[oatmeal]] in North America) is one of the most common types of porridge. [[Gruel]] is a thinner version of porridge and [[congee]] is a savoury variation of porridge of [[Asian cuisine|Asia]]n origin.

==Type of grains==
[[File:Cooked oatmeal in bowl (low angle).jpg|thumb|Cooked oatmeal]]
The term "porridge" is used in [[British English]] (Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand) specifically for oatmeal. This is a hot mixture of oatmeal or oats slowly cooked with water or milk.<ref name="auto">{{Cite book |last=Davidson |first=Alan |editor-first1=Tom |editor-last1=Jaine |date=2014-01-01 |title=The Oxford Companion to Food |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001 |doi=10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-967733-7 }}</ref> It is typically eaten for breakfast by itself or with other ingredients, including salt, sugar, fruit, milk, cream, or butter.

Other grains used for porridge include rice, wheat (cracked wheat porridge is also known as [[frumenty]]), [[barley]], corn, [[triticale]] and [[buckwheat]]. Many types of porridge have their own names, such as congee (rice), [[polenta|polenta (maize)]] and [[Poi_(food)|poi]] (from [[taro]]).<ref name="auto"/>

==Conventional uses==
Porridge can be eaten for any meal of the day. Porridge is eaten in many cultures around the world as a common snack or as breakfast, lunch or dinner. <ref>{{cite web|last=Fisher|first=Roxanne|title=Eat like an athlete - Beckie Herbert|work=[[BBC Food|BBC Good Food]]|publisher=[[BBC Worldwide]]|url=http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/eat-athlete-beckie-herbert|access-date=29 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chappell|first=Bill|title=Athletes And The Foods They Eat: Don't Try This At Home|work=The Torch|publisher=[[NPR]]|date=25 July 2012|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/thetorch/2012/07/25/157370171/athletes-and-the-foods-they-eat-dont-try-this-at-home|access-date=29 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Randall|first=David|author-link=David Randall|title=Cursed! The astonishing story of porridge's poster boy|work=[[The Independent]]|date=19 February 2012|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/cursed-the-astonishing-story-of-porridges-poster-boy-7172644.html}}</ref>

==Nutrition==
{{nutritional value
| name = Unenriched porridge (oatmeal), cooked with water
| kJ = 297
| protein = 2.5 g
| fat = 1.5 g
| carbs = 12 g
| fiber = 1.7 g
| sugars = 0.3
| calcium_mg = 9
| iron_mg = 0.9
| magnesium_mg = 27
| phosphorus_mg = 77
| potassium_mg = 70
| sodium_mg = 4
| zinc_mg = 1
| manganese_mg = 0.6
| vitC_mg = 0
| thiamin_mg = 0.08
| riboflavin_mg = 0.02
| niacin_mg = 0.23
| pantothenic_mg = 0.197
| vitB6_mg = 0.005
| folate_ug = 6
| vitA_ug = 0
| vitE_mg = 0.08
| vitK_ug = 0.3
| water = 83.6
| source_usda = 1
| note = [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173905/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

Unenriched porridge (as oatmeal), cooked by boiling or microwave, is 84% water, and contains 12% [[carbohydrates]], including 2% [[dietary fiber]] and 2% each of [[protein]] and [[fat]] (table). In a {{cvt|100|g}} reference amount, cooked porridge provides 71 [[calories]] and contains 26% of the [[Daily Value]] (DV) for [[manganese in biology|manganese]], with no other [[micronutrient]]s in significant content (table).

===Health effect===
A 2014 review found that daily intake of at least 3 grams of oat [[β-glucan|beta-glucan]] lowers total and [[low-density lipoprotein]] [[cholesterol]] levels by 5–10% in people with normal or elevated [[blood cholesterol]] levels.<ref name = betaglucan>{{cite journal |pmid=21631511|year=2011|last1=Othman|first1=R. A|title=Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat β-glucan|journal=Nutrition Reviews |volume=69|issue=6|pages=299–309|last2=Moghadasian|first2=M. H|last3=Jones|first3=P. J|doi=10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00401.x |doi-access=free}}</ref> Beta-glucan lowers cholesterol by inhibiting cholesterol production, although cholesterol reduction is greater in people with higher total cholesterol and [[Low-density lipoprotein|LDL cholesterol]] in their blood.<ref name = betaglucan/> In the United States, the [[Food and Drug Administration]] issued a final ruling in 2015 stating that food companies can make [[health claim|health claims on food labels]] for products containing [[dietary fiber|soluble fiber]] from whole oats (oat bran, oat flour and rolled oats), noting that 3.0&nbsp;grams of soluble fiber daily from these foods may reduce the risk of [[heart disease]].<ref name= "fda">{{cite web|url=http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm?fr=101.81|title=Title 21—Chapter 1, Subchapter B, Part 101 – Food labeling – Specific Requirements for Health Claims, Section 101.81: Health claims: Soluble fiber from certain foods and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) (revision 2015)|publisher=US Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration|date=1 April 2015|access-date=10 November 2015}}</ref> To qualify for the health claim, the food that contains the oats must provide at least 0.75&nbsp;grams of soluble fiber per serving.<ref name=fda/>

==Varieties==
{{Further|List of porridges}}
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2021}}
===Maize===
* [[Maize]] porridge:
**[[Atole]], a Mexican dish of [[Cornmeal|corn flour]] in water or milk.
** [[Champurrado]] (a chocolate-based atole), a Mexican blend of [[sugar]], [[milk]], [[chocolate]] and corn [[dough]] or corn flour. The Philippine dish [[tsampurado]] is similar, with rice instead of maize.
** ''Cir'', ''păsat'' or (when firmer) ''[[mămăligă]]'' are all [[Romanians|Romanian]] maize porridges.
** ''Colada'', a hot dish prepared with [[corn starch]], milk, sugar and [[cinnamon]] in Colombia and Ecuador.
** [[Cornmeal]] [[mush (cornmeal)|mush]], a traditional dish in southern and mid-Atlantic US states.
** Cornmeal porridge (parrige), a traditional dish served for breakfast throughout the [[Caribbean]] and among [[Rastafari|Rastafarians]]. A blend of fine [[semolina]] with milk or water and often with all spice and sugar.
** [[Farina (food)|Farina]] or ''papilla'', a traditional Dominican dish of porridge maize or grass peas.
** [[Gachas]], a Spanish porridge of maize or grass peas. Often garnished with roasted almonds and [[croutons]] of bread fried in olive oil.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://es.wikibooks.org/wiki/Gachas_manchegas|title=Artes culinarias/Recetas/Gachas manchegas|work=wikibooks.org}}</ref>
** [[Gofio]], a [[Canary Islands]] porridge of toasted coarse-ground maize. Made from roasted sweetcorn and other grains (e.g., wheat, barley or oats), used in many ways in parts of the world from which Canary Islanders have emigrated.
** [[Grits]], ground [[hominy]], is common in the southern United States, traditionally served with butter, salt and black pepper. Sometimes, it is also prepared with cheese.
** [[Kačamak]], a maize porridge from the [[Balkans]].
** [[Kānga pirau]], a fermented corn porridge dish that is made and consumed by the [[Māori people]] of New Zealand
** [[Mazamorra#Colombia|Mazamorra]], a maize porridge from [[Colombia]]'s [[Paisa (region)|Paisa region]] made with whole maize grains that can be sweet or salty.
** [[Polenta]], an Italian maize porridge which is cooked to a solidified state and sliced for serving.
** [[Rubaboo]] is made from dried maize and peas with animal fat and was a staple food of the [[Voyageurs]].
** [[Shuco]], a Salvadoran dish of black, blue or purple corn flour, ground [[pumpkin]] seeds, [[chili sauce]] and red cooked [[kidney bean]]s, which was traditionally drunk out of a hollowed-out gourd at early morning, especially coming from a hunting or drinking trip.
** ''Suppawn,'' also called, and better known as, [[hasty pudding]], was common in [[Thirteen Colonies|American colonial times]] and consisted of cornmeal boiled with milk into a thick porridge. Still eaten in modern times, it is no longer necessarily corn-based.
** ''Uji'', a thick East African porridge made most commonly from corn flour mixed with sorghum and many other different ground cereals, with milk or butter and sugar or salt. [[Ugali]], a more solid meal, is also made from maize flour, likewise often mixed with other cereals. These two, under various names, are [[staple food]]s over a wide part of the African continent, e.g., [[pap (food)|pap]] in South Africa, [[sadza]] or [[isitshwala]] in Zimbabwe, [[nshima]] in Zambia, tuwo or ogi in Nigeria, etc., though some of these may also be made from [[sorghum]].
** ''[[Žganci]]'', a maize porridge prepared in the Kajkavian counties of [[Croatia]] and in [[Slovenia]].
** ''[[Pap (food)|Mielie pap]]'' is a maize porridge staple in [[South African cuisine]].
** Api Morado ([[Bolivia]]), warm breakfast drink made of purple corn.

===Millet===
[[File:Jáhlová kaše.jpg|thumb|[[Millet]] porridge]]
* [[Millet]] porridge:
** [[Foxtail millet]] porridge is a staple food in northern China.
** A porridge made from [[pearl millet]] is the staple food in Niger and surrounding regions of the [[Sahel]].
** Oshifima or otjifima, a stiff pearl millet porridge, is the staple food of northern Namibia.
** Middle Eastern millet porridge, often seasoned with [[cumin]] and [[honey]].
** [[Ainu cuisine|Munchiro sayo]], a millet porridge eaten by the [[Ainu people|Ainu]], a native people of northern Japan.
** Milium in aqua was a millet porridge made with goat's milk that was eaten in [[ancient Rome]].<ref>{{cite book
  | last        = Grant
  | first       = Mark
  | title       = Roman Cookery
  | isbn        = 978-1897959602
  | publisher   = Serif
  | location    = London
  | year        = 1999
}}</ref>
** A [[Finger millet|ragi]] porridge, by name 'jaava' is consumed as a breakfast item during summer season in the [[Telugu language|Telugu]] speaking region of [[India]]
** [[Koozh]] is a millet porridge commonly sold in [[Tamil Nadu]].

===Oat===
[[File:Porridge oats.JPG|thumb|right|Porridge oats before cooking]] [[File:Oatmeal with raisins and chopped walnuts 5.jpg|thumb|Oatmeal with raisins, butter, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, brown sugar, and shredded coconut]] 

*[[oatmeal|Oat porridge]], traditional and common in the [[English-speaking world]], [[Germany]], and the [[Nordic countries]].<ref>The Danish cultural historian [[Troels Frederik Lund]] (1840–1921) published a work later known as "Everyday Life in the North". In his comments (1883) about the development of foods, he highlights porridge as one of the oldest Nordic meals. No other meal is described as frequently as this "from the moment the written sources begun."<br />See: {{cite book |last1= Troels-Lund|first1=Troels Frederik |author-link1=Troels Frederik Lund |title=Danmark og Norges Historie i Slutningen af det 16de Aarhundrede <!-- later editions: Dagligt Liv I Norden I Det 16de Aarhundrede --> |trans-title=History of Denmark and Norway to the End of the Sixteenth Century |date=1883 |publisher=C.A. Reitzel |location=Copenhagen |isbn=978-1247189857 |language=da |chapter=Fødemidler}}</ref> Oat porridge has been found in the stomachs of 5,000-year-old [[Neolithic]] [[Bog body|bog bodies]] in Central Europe and Scandinavia.<ref>{{cite book|author1-link=John Lloyd (producer)|last1=Lloyd|first1= J|author2-link = John Mitchinson (researcher)|last2 = Mitchinson|first2= J|title = The Book of General Ignorance|title-link=The Book of General Ignorance|publisher = Faber & Faber|year = 2006|isbn = 9780571233687}}</ref> Varieties of oat porridge include:
** [[Groats]], a porridge made from unprocessed oats or wheat.
** [[Gruel]], very thin porridge, often drunk rather than eaten.
** Yod Kerc'h, a traditional oat porridge from the north-west of France, primarily [[Brittany]], made with oats, butter and water or milk.<ref>{{cite book | title = French Impressions: Brittany | page = 24 | url = http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/Extracts/i541.extract.pdf|first = George|last = East|year = 2010| publisher = La Puce |isbn = 978-0-9523635-9-0|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170304194634/http://www.peoplesbookprize.com/Extracts/i541.extract.pdf |archive-date = 4 March 2017}}</ref>
** Owsianka, an east European (Russia, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine) traditional [[breakfast]] made with hot [[milk]], oats and sometimes with [[sugar]] and [[butter]].
** Porridge made from [[rolled oats]] or ground oatmeal is common in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Finland and Scandinavia. It is known as simply "porridge" or, more commonly in the United States and Canada, "[[oatmeal]]". In the US, oat and wheat porridge can both be called "hot cereal". Rolled oats are commonly used in England, oatmeal in Scotland and [[steel-cut oats]] in Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/are-steel-cut-oats-healthier.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110602185112/http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/are-steel-cut-oats-healthier.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 June 2011 |title=Nutrition diva: Are Steel Cut Oats Healthier? |publisher=Nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com |date=31 May 2011 |access-date=23 February 2014 }}</ref> In the [[Royal Navy]] during the [[Napoleonic Wars]], cooks made ''burgoo'' for the men for breakfast, from coarse oatmeal and water.<ref>{{cite book |last=Nasty-Face |first=Jack |title=Nautical Economy, or Forecastle Recollections of Events during the last War |publisher=William Robinson |place=London |year=1836}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/05/3208495.htm?site=sydney|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508161651/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/05/3208495.htm?site=sydney|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 May 2011|title=Last male WWI veteran dies|work=abc.net.au|date=5 May 2011}}</ref>
** Porridge (Parrige) – Anglophone Caribbean (Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad etc.) Also known as Pap. The most common type is [[Cornmeal|corn meal]], and they are always made with milk. Varieties include oatmeal, grated green plantain, barley, cream of wheat, sago (tapioca). Oatmeal porridge is often flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar or almond essence.
** Stirabout – Irish porridge, traditionally made by stirring oats into boiling water
** ''Terci de ovăz'', traditional oatmeal in Romania.
** ''Zabkása'', traditional oatmeal in Hungary.

====Types of oats====
[[File:William Hemsley Porridge.jpg|thumb|''Porridge'' by [[William Hemsley (painter)|William Hemsley]] (1893)]]
Oats for porridge may be whole ([[groats]]), cut into two or three pieces (called "pinhead", "steel-cut" or "coarse" oatmeal), ground into medium or fine [[oatmeal]] or steamed and rolled into flakes of varying sizes and thicknesses (called "rolled oats", the largest size being "jumbo"). The larger the pieces of oat used, the more textured the resulting porridge. It is said that, because of their size and shape, the body breaks steel-cut oats down more slowly than rolled oats, reducing spikes in [[blood sugar]] and making the eater feel full longer.<ref name=redmill>{{cite web |title=Steel Cut, Rolled, Instant, Scottish? (Marisa's comment, November 10, 2012 at 9:46 am) |url=http://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/2011/01/20/steel-cut-rolled-instant-scottish/ |work=Bob's Red Mill |access-date=9 October 2012 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023092958/http://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/2011/01/20/steel-cut-rolled-instant-scottish/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The US ''[[Consumer Reports]]'' website found that the more cooking required, the stronger the oat flavor and the less mushy the texture.<ref name=cu>{{cite web |url=http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/diet-nutrition/healthy-foods/cereals/oatmeal/overview/oatmeal-ov.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410215224/http://www.consumerreports.org/health/healthy-living/diet-nutrition/healthy-foods/cereals/oatmeal/overview/oatmeal-ov.htm|archive-date=10 April 2012|title=For best oatmeal taste, be patient |date=November 2008|access-date=3 April 2013 |work=[[Consumer Reports]]}}</ref>

Oats are a good source of dietary fibre; health benefits are claimed for [[Oat#Soluble fiber|oat bran]] in particular, which is part of the grain.

====Preparation====
The oats are cooked in milk, water or a mixture of the two. [[Scotland|Scottish]] traditionalists allow only oats, water and salt.<ref name=cloake>[https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/nov/10/how-to-cook-perfect-porridge How to cook perfect porridge], Felicity Cloake, ''The Guardian'', 10 November 2011.</ref> There are techniques suggested by cooks, such as presoaking, but a comparative test found little difference in the end result.<ref name=cloake/> Various flavourings can be used and may vary widely by taste and locality. [[Demerara sugar]], [[golden syrup]], [[Greek yoghurt]] and [[honey]] are common. Cold milk or single cream may be used.<ref name=cloake/>

===Rice===
[[File:Champorado2.jpg|thumb|[[Champorado]]]]
[[File:Rice porridge - mixed fruit soup.jpg|thumb|Rice porridge with mixed fruit soup]]
* [[Rice]] porridge:
** [[Champorado]], a sweet chocolate rice porridge in Filipino cuisine. It is traditionally made by boiling sticky rice with cocoa powder, giving it a distinctly brown color and usually with milk and sugar to make it taste sweeter.
** [[Congee]], a common East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian dish of boiled-down rice:
*** In Bangladesh congee is prepared simply as a porridge, Whole rice (not parboiled, scented or unscented) with a bit of salt, it is known as "Jao" eaten as wholesome diet for the sick. Added date tree sugar and garam masala it is called "Kheer", Or, cooked with sugar, milk, nuts, raisins, cardamom, cassia, cinnamon, Indian bay leaf, etc. it is called "Paiesh". Both "Kheer" & "Paiesh" are eaten as dessert.
*** In Sri Lanka congee is prepared with many ingredients. As a porridge, Sinhala people mainly use coconut milk with rice flour, it is known as "Kiriya."
*** Chinese congee, called ''[[Congee#China|zhou]]'' in Mandarin, and ''[[Congee#China|juk]]'' in Cantonese, can be served with a [[century egg]], [[salted duck egg]], [[pork]], [[cilantro]], fried [[wonton]] noodles or [[you tiao]], deep-fried dough strips. Meiling porridge (''Meiling zhou'' 美齡粥) made of rice, yam and soya-milk, named after [[Soong Mei-ling]], is a classic dish of [[Nanjing]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.home-cooking-recipes.com/recipe-meiling-porridge-the-taste-of-nanjing-big-stalls-electric-rice-cooker-version-23756/|title = 👨‍🍳Recipe: Meiling porridge (The taste of Nanjing big stalls) (Electric rice cooker version)|newspaper = Home Cooking Recipes}}</ref>
*** Indonesian and Malaysian congee, called ''bubur'', comes in many regional varieties, such as bubur sumsum, made from rice flour boiled with coconut milk then served with palm sugar sauce; and also bubur [[manado]] or [[tinutuan]], a rice porridge mixed with various vegetables and eaten with fried salted fish and chili sauce. There is also congee made from [[mung bean]]s, called [[bubur kacang hijau]] or congee with chicken called [[bubur ayam]]
*** Japanese congee, called ''[[Rice congee#Japan|kayu]]'', is mixed with [[salt]] and green onions. Often accompanied with variety of foods such as [[tsukemono]] (preserved vegetables), [[shiokara]] (preserved seafoods) and so on.
*** Korean congee, called ''[[Rice congee#Korea|juk]]'', can have added seafood, pine nuts, mushrooms, etc.
*** Thai congee, called "khao tom" (ข้าวต้ม), or "Jok" (โจ๊ก), can have added coriander, preserved duck eggs, fish sauce, sliced [[chili pepper]]s, pickled mustard greens or salt cabbage preserves, red pepper flakes, etc.
*** Vietnamese congee, called ''cháo'', can be made with [[beef]] or [[Chicken (food)|chicken]] stock and contains [[fish sauce]] and [[ginger]]. It is often served with [[scallion]]s and fried sticks of bread.
*** Filipino congee, called ''[[lugaw]]'' or ''arroz caldo'', contains [[saffron]], [[ginger]] and sometimes meat. Less common ingredients include boiled eggs, pepper, chilies, [[Puto (food)|puto]], lumpiang toge, [[tofu]], fish sauce, [[calamansi]] sauce, [[Soy sauce|toyo]] and spring onions. It is common as a street food.
** [[Cream of Rice]], a brand of [[American rice]] porridge, boiled in milk or water with sugar or salt.
** ''Ambrosia Creamed Rice'', a UK brand of tinned rice dessert, made of rice, sugar and milk/cream, since 1937.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ambrosia.co.uk/| title = Ambrosia Devon Custards & Desserts - Home}} </ref>
** Payasam, a traditional Indian sweet dish, made of rice boiled in milk.
** ''Frescarelli'', an Italian dish made of overcooked rice and white flour, typical of [[Marche]].
** ''Orez în lapte'' (Romania), a dessert made with rice boiled in milk with sugar, sometimes flavored with cinnamon, jam, cocoa powder, etc.
** Tejberizs (Hungary), made with milk, sugar and usually vanilla. Served with cocoa and sugar
** Risengrynsgrøt or simply risgrøt ([[Scandinavia]]), a warm dish made with white rice cooked in milk. Served with cinnamon, sugar, and a small knob of butter.
** Riskrem or rice cream dessert (Scandinavia), traditional dessert during the [[Christmas]] season. Made with cold rice porridge mixed with [[whipped cream]] and sweetened with sugar. In [[Sweden]], sometimes mixed with [[Orange (fruit)|oranges]]. In [[Denmark]], it is typically mixed with [[vanilla]] and chopped [[almonds]], and typically served with hot or chilled [[cherry]] sauce. In Norway, the dessert is served with chilled [[strawberry]] or [[raspberry]] sauce.

===Sorghum===
* [[Sorghum]] porridge:
** Mabela, a sorghum porridge eaten typically for breakfast in [[South Africa]] and Zimbabwe. Maltabella is a brand name for a sorghum porridge manufactured by [[Bokomo|Bokomo Foods]]
** Tolegi, a sorghum porridge eaten as a midday meal during the summer in [[New Guinea]].
** Tuwo or ogi, a [[Nigeria]]n sorghum porridge that may also be made from maize.

===Wheat===
[[File:Malt-O-Meal with coffee.jpg|thumb|upright|Mug of coffee with a camping [[saucepan]] of [[MOM Brands|''Malt-O-Meal'' cereal]] at a [[picnic table]]]]
* [[Wheat]] porridge:
** [[Cream of Wheat]], a brand of American wheat porridge, boiled in milk or water with sugar or salt; also called [[farina (food)|farina]] or "hot cereal" (a term also applied to oat porridge).
** Dalia, a simple porridge made out of cracked wheat, is a common breakfast in northern India and Pakistan. It is cooked in milk or water and eaten with salt or sugar added.
** [[Frumenty]], a boiled wheat porridge eaten in [[Roman Empire|Roman]] times, sometimes with fruit or meat added.
** ''[[Gris cu lapte]]'' (Romania), dessert made with semolina boiled in milk with sugar added, sometimes flavored with jam, raisins, dried fruit, cinnamon powder, etc.
** Tejbegríz (Hungary), semolina dessert cooked with milk, usually with sugar and topped with cocoa or cinnamon powder, etc.
** [[MOM Brands|Malt-O-Meal]] – a brand of American wheat porridge
** ''Mannapuuro'', a traditional Finnish dessert made with semolina.
** [[Semolina porridge]], eaten in Czech Republic, Slovakia and Croatia, is made of milk, semolina and sugar. In France, semolina may be cooked without sugar but served instead with a large spoon of jam on top or in the centre of the bowl, that may be swirled through the dish prior to consuming it.
** [[Sour cream]] porridge, a Norwegian porridge of wheat flour in cooked sour cream with a very smooth and slightly runny texture. It is served with sugar, [[cinnamon]], cured meats or even [[hard-boiled egg]]s depending on local custom.
** [[Upma]], a fried semolina porridge traditional in southern India, flavored with [[clarified butter]], fried [[onion]]s, toasted [[mustard seed]]s and [[curry tree|curry leaves]] and often mixed with vegetables and other foods, such as potatoes, fried dried red chilis, fried [[cauliflower]] and toasted [[peanut]]s or [[cashew]] nuts.
** [[Velvet porridge]] or butter porridge, a Norwegian dish: a generous amount of white [[roux]] is made from wheat flour and butter, adding milk until it can be served as a thick porridge.
** [[Wheatena]], a brand name for a whole-wheat porridge.
** ''Ýarma'', a Turkmen wheat groat porridge.
** [[Harees]], an [[Arab cuisine|Arabian dish]] of boiled, cracked or coarsely-ground [[wheat]] and [[meat]] or [[Chicken (food)|chicken]]. Its consistency varies between a porridge and a [[dumpling]]. Harees is also a popular dish in [[Arab states of the Persian Gulf]], Armenia, and Pakistan.

===Other===
[[File:Beef yam porridge with red and green pepper.jpg|thumb|Nigerian [[Asaro (food)|Asaro]] (Yam porridge with beef and red and green pepper)]]
* [[Brenntar]], made of a specially roasted flour (''Musmehl''). Particularly prominent in the [[Swabian Jura]] and in the [[Allgäu]].
* [[Flax]] porridge, often served as part of a mixture with wheat and [[rye]] meal. [[Red River Cereal]] and [[Sunny Boy Cereal]] are common brands in Canada.
* [[Garri]], flour made from [[cassava]] root, can be soaked in water or milk, and is popular as a snack in [[West Africa]].
* [[Kasha]], a widely consumed groats/porridge range of dishes, utilising a variety of grains, widespread in [[Eastern Europe]] and Russia.
** English speakers frequently reserve the term "[[kasha]]" for [[buckwheat]] porridge, made of buckwheat in butter, as eaten by many people in Russia and Ukraine, with [[Yogurt|yoghurt]] more common in the Caucasus.
** ''Terci de hrișcă'', [[buckwheat]] porridge from Romania.
* Mixed grain and [[legumes]] in Ethiopia:
** Genfo is a thick porridge made by lightly roasting, milling and cooking any combination of Ethiopian oats, wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, maize, [[chickpea]]s, [[yellow pea]]s, [[soybean]]s, or bulla, the starch from the root of the [[ensete|false banana]] tree; it is traditionally eaten for breakfast with a dollop of clarified, spiced butter (kibe) or oil and chili-spice mix [[berbere]], or with yoghurt. For those who can afford it, it is a popular holiday or Sunday breakfast dish and is often given to pregnant women and women after birthing to bring them back to health and strength.
** Atmit, muk or adja is a thinner version of genfo porridge for drinking, mixed often with spiced, clarified butter, milk and honey, or on its own with a pinch of salt. It is popular in the rainy season and for nursing the sick back to health.
** Besso, made of roasted and ground barley is a popular snack for travellers and, in olden times, foot soldiers. The powder is either mixed with a bit of water, salt and chili powder to make a thick bread-like snack or mixed with more water or milk and honey for drinking. The [[Gurage]] and other southern tribes in Ethiopia ferment the besso for a few days with water and a bit of sugar, add a pinch of salt and chili and drink it as a fortifying and energising meal-in-a-drink.
* Multigrain Porridge
** This consists of roasted rice, wheat, roasted gram, [[jowar]], maize, millet, [[Peanut|groundnut]], [[cashewnut]], corn, barley and [[Finger millet|ragi]] and is prepared by roasting all the ingredients individually in a pan without using any [[ghee]] or oil, then grinding them together into a coarse powder.
** This porridge is described as being rich in protein and good for children.
* [[Pease pudding|Pease porridge]] or [[peasemeal]] porridge, made from dried [[pea]]s, is a traditional English and Scottish porridge.
* [[Potato]] porridge, eaten in Norway, is a thick, almost solid paste made from cooked potatoes mixed with milk and barley.
** [[Helmipuuro]] ("pearl porridge") is a porridge made from grains of [[potato starch]] swelled in milk into ca. five-mm "pearls", traditionally found in Russia and Finland.
* [[Quinoa]] porridge.
* [[Rye]] porridge:
** Rugmelsgrød, a traditional dinner of the Danish island [[Bornholm]], made of ryemeal and water.
** Ruispuuro, a traditional Finnish breakfast.
* [[Spelt]] porridge.
* [[Tsampa]] is a toasted grain flour, usually barley, eaten in Tibet, often mixed with [[tea]] and butter.
* [[Yam (vegetable)|Yam]] porridge/pottage
** In Nigeria the words porridge and [[pottage]] are synonymous, and it is consumed as a main meal. Nigerian [[Asaro (food)|Asaro]], yam porridge/pottage, includes tomatoes and other culinary vegetables along with the yam. It may also have fish or other meat.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kperogi, Farooq|url=http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/politics-of-grammar/15779-qa|title=Q and A on the grammar of food, usage and Nigerian English|publisher=[[Media Trust|Daily Trust]]|date=2014-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223030623/http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/sunday/index.php/politics-of-grammar/15779-qa|access-date=2017-02-23|archive-date=23 February 2017}}</ref>

==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>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Asida]], from the Arabian cuisine
* [[Barley gruel]]
* [[Congee]], a rice porridge common across Asia
* {{lang|nl|[[Krentjebrij]]}}, a traditional Dutch porridge-like dessert
* [[List of porridges]]
* [[Macroom Oatmeal]], the last traditionally stone-ground oatmeal in Ireland
* [[Pease pudding]], also known as pease porridge
* [[Quaker Oats]], large multinational manufacturer, suppliers of Quaker Oats, [[Quaker Instant Oatmeal]], etc.
* [[Ready Brek]], a British brand of instant shredded oat cereal
* [[Scott's Porage Oats]], a Scottish brand producing porridge sold nationally in the [[UK]].
* [[Stoats Porridge Bars]], a Scottish brand comprising porridge bars, organic porridge, oats, health food and oat bars.
* [[Tapioca pudding]]
* [[African cuisine]]
* [[List of African dishes]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name = "oed">{{citation
  | title       = porridge (pronunciation: /ˈpɒrɪdʒ/)
  | url         = http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/porridge?q=Porridge
  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131103051208/http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/porridge?q=Porridge
  | url-status  = dead
  | archive-date = 3 November 2013
  | publisher   = [[Oxford English Dictionary]]
  | access-date  = 4 April 2013
}}</ref>
}}

{{Commons category}}
{{cookbook}}

{{Cuisine}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Porridges| ]]
[[Category:Scottish cuisine]]
[[Category:World cuisine]]
[[Category:Types of food]]
[[Category:Breakfast cereals]]
[[Category:Oat-based dishes]]