Is there any pleasure in life like real porridge?

[davids]

I can think of a few, but ....
Just back from 6 days on Bogong High Plains with 4 others.
The porridge was fantastic, and the making of it in the still early mornings a wonderfully relaxing experience.
80-100g real oats per person, use a 3L pot, cover with cold water and leave soak overnight (lid on). Home dried bananas also soaked in small amount water.
500ml milk made up from powder and shaken up to mix in screw lid water container.
First up in the morning (me) boils some water for tea, then adds extra water to porridge and starts cooking on the MSR whilst sipping tea.
Banana mix mushed up and heated, and added to cooked porridge in individual bowls with nutmeg, milk, lots of honey +/- cinnamon, other dried fruit.
Its worth hiking, just for the porridge... (the making and the eating)
David

[vagrom]

Life after Porridge.
There's a Spirituality of Bushwalking thread elsewhere that still makes no mention of porridge.
A lot of people use meusli but tho' not sure, I think that over some days it's heavier than dry oats. But then there's the stuff carried with the dry oats, for flavouring them, that brings up the weight.
But if you want to try a bit Spartan then you can dump the sometimes troublesome powdered milk and find oats that have excellent flavour on their own, in just the water they're cooked in. They cost a bit more.
There's Four Leaf oats from Tarlee South Australia. I just add this for anyone with a yen for lightening their food weight.
Cheaper, supermarket oats can cook up to something resembling glue whereas better stuff is lumpy so chewy and flavoursome as well.

There's Kialla oats, from NSW I think, presumably also good, but the dearest of the lot. Woolies and Coles stock $2 bags but it seems to be blander in flavour to me. Coles is the better of the two and can be used to bulk up the good stuff if it's too dear. Lowan used to be better, the happy medium but it doesn't seem as good as before and perhaps also, Blue Lake oats of Mt Gambier. I'm influenced by the fact that they're all somewhat cheaper.
As i'm in SA I can get FourLeaf for $4.55/kg at Wilsons, beside the Central Mkts, but the price is up to $6 elsewhere.
Tarlee's near the top of the York Peninsular which is/was known as the Barley basket of Australia. Something about the soil; heaps of limestone I think. So, "terroir"!
Then there's the morning brew, either tea or coffee. Assam Tea is the basis of a lot of blends and can be gotten in teabags, unblended. It's a strong tea from NE India but the perfect thing for the morning brew and again, if you pay for quality, like a good Scotch, can be great on it's own. Get something else or herbals for brews drunken later in the day.
Your "80-100gms" is good and generous for me as well. The overnight pre-soaking hasn't worked for me as yet but i'll try again. Usually too knackered at day's end to bother.

[north-north-west]

No.; There are better things, and worse ones, but nothing quite like it. But it's too much of a hassle for bushwalking. Especially carrying the necessary brown sugar, apple & cinnamon.

[Rob A]

Porridge gives me (and I gather a few people) a 'wooly head'.
Guess there is some intolerance to something in the oats that leaves you with a not quite right feeling.
Half a teaspoon of instant coffee in the mix seems to cut right through it for some reason.

There's a Spirituality of Bushwalking thread elsewhere that still makes no mention of porridge.

Eating porridge with a blunt stick probably isnt condusive to contemplating your navel or something.

[tasadam]

These guys make a porridge. Haven't tried it but thought I'd share.
https://worldsbestcereal.com/

[Orion]

Horse food.

[ryantmalone]

Horse food.

I gotta admit, I never did quite get used to Porridge.

I'm a 2 Minute Noodles in the morning kinda guy when I'm on the trail.

[corvus]

Horse food.

I gotta admit, I never did quite get used to Porridge.

I'm a 2 Minute Noodles in the morning kinda guy when I'm on the trail.

I am with you on the 2 min noodle breakfast ,alternate between Dutch Curry and Rice and Mild Chicken Curry Lots a Noodle CaS for extra flavour
corvus

[Mutley]

Horse food ? Two minute noodles for breakfast ? What the .??.?

The absolute best, lightest and yummiest breakfast whilst out in the bush, is porridge. I prefer the uncle Toby's instant porridge sachets, fruit flavoured. They are 35 g each pack. Two packs cooks in about 3 minutes, mixed with some water and milk powder. For an extra treat, rehydrate some banana, berries or apple overnight, then add the fruit to the porridge the next morning, drinking the left over liquid as a fruit juice...yum..

It's lighter than muesli, more satisfying and tastier. I might just sneek outside tomorrow morning, set up camp and cook a bowl before the wife realises I'm missing.

[corvus]

Horse food ? Two minute noodles for breakfast ? What the .??.?

The absolute best, lightest and yummiest breakfast whilst out in the bush, is porridge. I prefer the uncle Toby's instant porridge sachets, fruit flavoured. They are 35 g each pack. Two packs cooks in about 3 minutes, mixed with some water and milk powder. For an extra treat, rehydrate some banana, berries or apple overnight, then add the fruit to the porridge the next morning, drinking the left over liquid as a fruit juice...yum..

It's lighter than muesli, more satisfying and tastier. I might just sneek outside tomorrow morning, set up camp and cook a bowl before the wife realises I'm missing.

Hey Mutley ,
You( are no eatin porridge with that pap) ,porridge is real organic rolled oats soaked overnight and with the only additive being salt and served with nothing but milk,what you are proposing is for Bairns and invalids and dont forget many more millions live on noodles and bread (wheat products) rather than oats
corvus

[taswegian]

Looks like porridge needs some more supporters.
It's top food. Note Food, not Fodder.
The oats (porridge oats) is great stuff just to chew if one runs short of other tucker.
Want to be careful with the noodles. Could attract a fine

One of the highlights of bushwalks for my daughter was morning bowl of the hot stuff.
We enjoy porridge in winter at home. Sits on firebox overnight and come morning ready to go. Uncle Toby makes a good drop. Not the instant. Bit like Corvus - that ain't real porridge.

[Rob A]

Och aye? The scots only eat (ate?) teh stuff because they stirred whisky into it.
Before they discovered you didnt need to. Bother with the oats that is.

[ryantmalone]

Horse food ? Two minute noodles for breakfast ? What the .??.?

We all have different tastes. Frankly, to me, porridge has the texture of snot, and tastes very bland. Even adding other things like fruit and honey doesnt do it for me.

I have thought about messing about with different Muesli mixes, but havent got around to it just yet.

For me, 2 minute noodles works a charm. Actually found it to be brilliant followed by a Leda Bar an hour or two into walking. On my last hike, it was a god send.

[corvus]

Horse food ? Two minute noodles for breakfast ? What the .??.?

We all have different tastes. Frankly, to me, porridge has the texture of snot, and tastes very bland. Even adding other things like fruit and honey doesnt do it for me.

I have thought about messing about with different Muesli mixes, but havent got around to it just yet.

For me, 2 minute noodles works a charm. Actually found it to be brilliant followed by a Leda Bar an hour or two into walking. On my last hike, it was a god send.

G'day ryantmalone,
Just curious as to how you know what the texture and taste of snot is (you didn't did you) and whilst I dont eat much Porridge these days if cooked correctly it can be quite palatable IMHO however I wont be replacing my 2 min noodle breakfasts on the track, just so easy, boil water, pour over noodles in a correct size container add CoS of choice put on lid have a nice Earl Grey black tea and said noodles are ready to eat with no extra cooking so saving weight on gas usage .
BTW what is a Leda Bar please?
corvus

corvus

[Rob A]

... and tastes very bland. Even adding other things like fruit and honey doesnt do it for me ...

Wot about Anzac biscuits?

[neilmny]

... and tastes very bland. Even adding other things like fruit and honey doesnt do it for me ...

Wot about Anzac biscuits?

Now your talking. The only way to eat oats.
My breakfast consists of Corn Flakes, All Bran, sultanas, dates and dried apricots with no milk at all.....dry
followed by a coffee made from a Robert Timms coffee bag.
A bit weird I know ....well a lot weird........... but I just can't come at sloppy cereal (shudder).

[vagrom]

True enough, if poorly prepared it does indeed resemble gorilla snot. Probably snot from a whole variety of snources and snoses. But well prepared it's just like a nice,big,soft,unsweetened Anzac biscuit, the ideal,morning gut filler; (horse) food of the Gods.
The good stuff like FourLeaf is actually stone-ground instead of industrially processed, helping to prepare something that tastes good (you can get used to it) and which is satisfyingly chewy, unlike even the finest of imported,gourmet varieties of gorilla snot.
Get it int'ya! (-you know it makes sense...)

[corvus]

Bugger it have been prodded to have porridge for breakfast in the morning ,overnight soak of really nice Lowans Oats then nothing else other than milk and perhaps some extra salt .
For those of you who can find it I believe the Kindred Organic Oats are really nice the Oatlands Mill ones we tried were unfortunatly inedible IMHO.
corvus

[Onestepmore]

Porridge gives me (and I gather a few people) a 'wooly head'.

Half a teaspoon of instant coffee in the mix seems to cut right through it for some reason.

whatthe?

[neilmny]

I also get sleepy if I eat Anzacs (I don't eat porridge)
Apparently Oats are rich in maletonin which can make you sleepy.

From a google search - "drowsy eating oats"
"Grains in oatmeal trigger insulin production much like whole-grain bread," "They raise your blood sugar naturally and make you feel sleepy. Oats are also rich in melatonin, which relaxes the body and helps you fall asleep."

[Rob A]

whatthe?

wtf2.gif (499.95 KiB) Viewed 27816 times

Try this, 'Oat sensitivity'.

If its only a mild problem a half a teaspoon of instant coffee mixed into the cooking porridge batch might help you.
For me it completely negates the symtoms. I dont have any trouble with wheat.

[Snowzone]

I also get sleepy if I eat Anzacs (I don't eat porridge)
Apparently Oats are rich in maletonin which can make you sleepy.

From a google search - "drowsy eating oats"
"Grains in oatmeal trigger insulin production much like whole-grain bread," "They raise your blood sugar naturally and make you feel sleepy. Oats are also rich in melatonin, which relaxes the body and helps you fall asleep."

Well obviously I've got it all *&%$#! about then. I should be eating my breakfast before I go to bed and my dinner aka 2 minute noodles or curry etc. in the morning.
And yes Corvus a good porridge does need a good dash of salt, then followed by milk and a sprinkle of sugar.
The last lot of oats I had wern't bad, I think the brand was Mackenzie.

[neilmny]

Funny I was thinking the same thing, how did porridge evolve into a breakfast meal?

[Nuts]

Eggs?, eggs are as pleasurable as porridge. 'Eggs ovaeasy' taste close to the real thing, so easy to make. We carry toaster/breads for one morning but they are fine on mtn bread.

Porridge (honey/sultanas) is the standard morning meal on walks but I wouldn't have it at home. All those millions probably eat 2-minute noodles now but they'd traditionally be rice noodles? Healthier? No wax ball in the belly

[neilmny]

How about eggs on sourdough..............drooling now

[Son of a Beach]

Egg and bacon on an english muffin is one of my favourite bushwalking breakfasts. I usually have porridge or some kind of cold cereal for longer walks, though.

[corvus]

snip
All those millions probably eat 2-minute noodles now but they'd traditionally be rice noodles? Healthier? No wax ball in the belly

I think you are a bit out on your estimates on Noodle eaters (what about the the Italians) and wheat based Noodles are the preferred dish in northern China,rice sticks (noodles) are an occasional dish unless you are in Thailand where they are most common.
Get back to you about the wax myth
corvus

[Nuts]

huh, I guess I assumed most asians ate rice noodles, there you go.
That wax ball 'myth' is interesting. Yes, I did have a look in snopes but recall a korean dorm mate being rushed off to hospital with a severe stomach complaint. He was in agony and apparently in a coma before they could treat him/ cant recall if he needed surgery (long time ago). I don't know if it was a problem with stomach lining, more likely an allergic reaction or a blockage but I do distinctly remember him mentioning it had been something related to the wax.

[ryantmalone]

G'day ryantmalone,
Just curious as to how you know what the texture and taste of snot is (you didn't did you)

Because since I was little I've had a bad habit of picking my nose and eating it.

Hey, you asked.

BTW what is a Leda Bar please?

Its a recent discovery in the supermarket that I found not too long ago, and had some really good results with when I was hiking a few weeks back. I wrote a post about it at http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=12169

I get these from the organic food section in Coles, plus you can order boxes of them on their website as well. They are insanely good after a hard morning.

[Rob A]