Thanks to PA Media and STV News Online for the Headline
I’ve returned to having oats for breakfast as my cholesterol is edging into the danger zone, or perhaps I just got the wrong person’s results. (I need to have a second test ).
Still it was the Porridge Making Championships up in Scotland at the weekend and the win for Gina Saarberg from the Netherlands that caught my eye. She won the “Golden Spurtle” at the World Porridge Making Championship.
A Spurtle is a traditional 15th -century wooden utensil(practical version) used to stir oatmeal smoothly without forming lumps .A slimmer, longer version of the honey wand.
Weirdly the lady insisted on bringing her own water from the Netherlands to mix with the organic pinhead oats from the Dutch Company De Halm. Scottish Spring Water just wouldn’t do it, interestingly enough.
De Halm pinhead oats can be ordered online from specialist retailers in the UK. Still to be honest a bag of oats does take me a while to get through so this isn’t too much of a problem as I’m not a fan of online shopping.
Also, especially for the competition ; Gina added a little salt which brought out aromas and nuances of flavour that made the porridge taste even better. Unfortunately, salt is also a blood pressure raiser , so that for me is a difficult one. Taste over health? Well perhaps a little salt.
Another winner was a gentleman from Australia who won the ” speciality” title ,where you are allowed to add one special ingredient to your porridge. He won with his Sicilian inspired Canoli Porridge. Not one for a rushed breakfast before work I fear.
However, well done to the winners and my sympathies to the Scottish Water Suppliers who seem to have been edged out by the “Netherland Nectar”.
Namaste and Thank You for Reading. 🙏









