From ancient times it was believed that "any fool will cook porridge." And here modern cooks and professional chefs can certainly argue. Cooking any porridge is a special process that requires not only theoretical cooking skills. All cereals are unique in properties and require strict observance of the proportion of cereals, both liquid and viscous.
English aristocrat - bunting
Today, oatmeal is recognized as the most healthy breakfast. The stereotypical thoughts that Misty Albion is the birthplace of this groats are erroneous. But the famous phrase "Oatmeal, sir," firmly entrenched in our heads, does not at all plead with the merits of this cereal. Oatmeal is a flattened grain of oats. The cooking process is accompanied by the formation of a jelly-like mass, which is particularly valuable. It is proved that, enveloping the walls of the stomach, it has a beneficial effect on the digestive system as a whole. No wonder its use is indicated for people with a weakened immune system.
Oatmeal in antiquity
The facts of using oatmeal by Cleopatra herself are known. It was believed that her morning began exclusively with this porridge. The recipe is extremely simple: oatmeal and water. The proportions of porridge in the distant past, perhaps, differ from the present ones rather by a measure of weight than by the ratio of liquid to cereal. In order to cook the correct oatmeal today, you need to take 1.5 cups of cereal and 1 liter of water, the cooking time is 4 minutes. And the famous recipe for oatmeal baths, which the queen took, is being tried to reproduce in modern conditions by modern women.
Calling Queen - Buckwheat
"Cabbage soup and porridge" - this is the necessary minimum for a Russian person. Despite the fact that our nationality boasts a variety of cereals, buckwheat remains the unconditional queen. India is considered the birthplace of this cereal, and it came to Russian land from Greek land, hence the name. It is noteworthy that in other countries it has a different name. Buckwheat is incredibly rich in its microbiological composition with valuable substances. That's why it is recommended to use for people suffering from anemia. Buckwheat diet is widely known as effective in speedy weight loss with minimal stress for losing weight. To prepare healthy foods, it is necessary to observe the proportions of buckwheat cereal and the liquid used. The latter may be milk, water, or a mix thereof. So, for 1 cup of buckwheat, 2 cups of liquid are the generally accepted proportions of cereals similar to buckwheat. Buckwheat will retain the maximum content of nutrients if it is poured with cold water and left overnight. Such porridge is quite edible and incredibly rich in trace elements.
Children's whim - semolina
The progenitor of semolina is ordinary wheat. Once it was crushed to a state resembling flour. So there was a croup associated with the Soviet man without fail with early childhood. The process of bringing wheat to a fine state in ancient times was laborious, which affected its price. Nowadays, this cereal is one of the most affordable. It gained the greatest popularity during the construction of communism as the main element of baby food. Interestingly, even in antiquity, people used a mixture of milk and crushed cereals to feed their children, and it was called "a daze." At present, the benefits and advisability of using semolina at an early age are undergoing widespread criticism due to the presence of gluten, a dangerous allergen. Although a healthy generation, with horror recalling only lumps in porridge, proves the opposite. Semolina porridge also has its own cooking features. The proportions of water and cereals in this case are as follows: for 1 glass of water (milk) up to 2 tablespoons of cereal. Cook for about 4 minutes. Salt, sugar, oil can be added during and after cooking. Adherents of good nutrition, as a rule, refuse such combinations. Semolina porridge with fruits, nuts and honey is incredibly healthy and divinely delicious.
Chinese bread - rice
Rice is the oldest crop. Most of it is cultivated in China - at home. There are Buddha sayings equating the value of rice and life. Long and round grain, white and black - each type is used to make bread, noodles and cereals. In Russia, rice porridge has successfully taken root. For its preparation, it is worth observing the proportions of cooking porridge, namely - one part of cereal and three parts of water. To make the porridge viscous, it is worth purchasing round-grain rice. Loose pilaf will be made from long rice grains. Wild rice is the most valuable , it is not processed at all, and therefore retains nutrients in its almost original form. But from such rice porridge "in Russian" just can not be cooked. The lighter the rice, the more it was polished. Golden color is a sign of another processing method: steaming. The starchy structure of processed rice does not allow rice to be considered a dietary product, so such a popular rice diet is based on its repeated soaking.
Mamalyga - corn relative
Mamaliga, widespread in the East, did not at all take root in the cool Russian climate. Boiled with boiling water, corn flour, generously flavored with oil and spices, it only visually resembles porridge. Perhaps this is the only similarity. Coarse grits - this is what real corn porridge is based on . The proportions of dry and liquid substances in its preparation are as follows: three parts of a liquid and one part of cereal. Cooking time - at least 40 minutes. The pronounced taste of porridge does not require the mandatory addition of fruits and berries. No less capricious in the duration of the heat treatment is wheat porridge, the proportions of which in part of the water and cereals are similar to corn.
The choice of cereals
A healthy lifestyle is based on the availability of a variety of cereals in the diet. By and large, this is one of the foundations of a balanced diet. Each cereal already by nature contains valuable trace elements and fiber. Therefore, the main guideline when choosing cereals is minimal production processing. Of course, a clean, smooth and even grain is more attractive, but how manufacturers achieve their presentation is not always available to the buyer. Raw cereals are less attractive, but they are the most healthy. It is the cheapest and is located on the lower shelves of stores. Marketers prudently hide an inexpensive product from the eyes of buyers.
The importance of cereals is undeniable. Numerous proverbs and real historical events prove this fact. After all, there were times when the achieved peace between the states was fastened by eating porridge precisely by the warring parties. Perhaps it included the secret proportions of cereals of various varieties and was called "friendship." So, porridge - to be!