In brief
- Oat porridge: oat flakes cooked in water and milk, sweetened and flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla
- Origin: a cereal from Northern Europe, adopted as a breakfast in the kitchens of the African and Caribbean diaspora in France
- Essential ingredients: oat flakes, water, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla
- A morning breakfast, served hot in a bowl
Origins and cultural history of oat porridge
Oats (Avena sativa) are a cereal native to Central Asia, domesticated in Northern and Central Europe around four thousand five hundred years ago. The Romans already described it as the cereal of the Germanic peoples, who made a porridge from it. Cultivated for centuries in the countries of Northern Europe and the British Isles, it gives us porridge, the classic breakfast of these regions.
Sweetened with cinnamon, vanilla or nutmeg, oat porridge has become established in the kitchens of the African and Caribbean diasporas in France, alongside other morning porridges such as millet porridge or thiakry.
What are the essential ingredients of oat porridge
The preparation relies on a few simple ingredients, found in most African and Caribbean grocery stores, including NKOSI.
- oat flakes
- water
- milk or powdered milk
- sugar
- cinnamon
- vanilla
What to know about oat porridge
Oat porridge is made with rolled oats cooked in water and milk, then sweetened and flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla. Milk gives a creamier texture, and a mix of water and milk is common. It is served hot in a bowl at breakfast, in the kitchens of the African and Caribbean diaspora in France, following the same principle as British porridge.
Frequently asked questions about oat porridge
Should oat porridge be cooked in water or milk?
Both are possible, in a proportion of about two and a half volumes of liquid for one volume of flakes. Milk gives a creamier texture, water a lighter texture; a mix of both is common.
What is the difference between porridge and bouillie d'avoine?
Both refer to the same basic preparation, oat flakes cooked in a liquid until thickened. Porridge comes from the British tradition; the version sweetened with cinnamon and vanilla is that of the African and Caribbean diaspora kitchens in France.
Where to find the ingredients for oat porridge in France?
NKOSI sells the oat flakes, cinnamon stick, Bourbon vanilla and powdered milk to prepare this porridge, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
