Grain
Rolled oats
Also called porridge oats, old-fashioned oats
Oat groats steamed and rolled into flakes — porridge oats — with a chew that instant dust cannot fake. ANZAC biscuits need that flake; an açaí bowl uses it as a topping. Steel-cut oats will not stand in for rolled in a biscuit.
Origin
A cool-climate European cereal, then a pantry staple in Scotland, Ireland, Britain and Australia. Rolled oats are a nineteenth-century mill product.
Flavour
Toasty, faintly sweet, nutty when baked. Rancid oats smell like old oil.
How it is made
Whole groats are steamed to fix the oil, then rolled flat. Instant oats are thinner and often pre-cooked; they collapse. Flavoured sachets are sugar and perfume.
How to use it
For ANZACs, mix rolled oats through the dough so they stay visible; golden syrup and bicarb give the spread, the oats the bite. Instant oats make a sandy biscuit. Toast a handful for an açaí bowl. Porridge wants measured liquid, a slow stir and a pinch of salt.
Storage
Airtight, cool, dry. The germ oil goes rancid in heat. Freeze a big bag if you will not finish it in a few months.
Recipes using it
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