Who is popular today?

Sweet or savoury, with cornmeal, quinoa, rice or millet, this warming breakfast lends itself to so many variations
As autumn creeps in, porridge is once again what mornings call for. It is the perfect breakfast. It fills you up, it keeps you warm. It’s quick to make and, tastewise, it can go in many directions. You can add nuts and dried fruit, honey and cream, banana and Nutella; or you can go savoury, with seeds, cheese, harissa, bacon, soft-boiled eggs or spring onions.
But porridge does not stop with oats, which is good news for anyone scarred by a childhood of lumpen grey gloop. The world over, you find cereal grains and starchy plants chopped, ground, rolled or otherwise processed and boiled in water (or milk, or stock) until they release their starches and thicken into something creamy. Technically even risotto and congee qualify as types of porridge. (A political analyst called Abigail Pile ushered in 2019 by writing a 1,250-word essay on how to stir your porridge. She took cues from the traditional risotto method – use water, don’t stop stirring and get yourself one of those wooden rods that the Scots call spurtles.) Continue reading...