  porridge (also spelled porage, porrige, parritch, etc.) is a dish made by boiling ground, crushed, or chopped cereal in water, milk, or both, with optional flavourings, usually served hot in a bowl or dish. it may be sweetened with sugar or honey and served as a sweet dish, or mixed with spices and vegetables to make a savoury dish. the term is usually used for oat porridge (porridge oats); there are similar dishes made with other grains or legumes, but they often have other unique names, such as polenta, grits or kasha. a dish made of oats alone, either in crushed or meal form, or whole-grain, is known simply as oatmeal in the u.s. and in some areas of canada. hot cereals are often prepared as instant breakfasts. oat and semolina porridge are the most popular varieties in many countries. in addition to oats, cereal meals used for porridge include rice, wheat, barley, corn and buckwheat. legumes such as peasemeal can also be used to make porridge. gruel is similar to porridge but is made without milk and has a very thin consistency. porridge was a traditional food in much of northern europe and russia. barley was a common grain, though other grains and yellow peas could be used, depending on local conditions. it was primarily a savoury dish, with meats, root crops, vegetables and herbs added for flavour. porridge could be cooked in a large metal kettle over hot coals or heated in a cheaper earthenware container by adding hot stones until boiling hot. until leavened bread and baking ovens became commonplace in europe, porridge was a typical means of preparing cereal crops for the table. it was also commonly used as prison food for inmates in the british prison system and so "doing porridge" became a slang term for a sentence in prison. in many modern cultures, porridge is widely eaten as a breakfast dish, often with the addition of salt, butter, sugar, milk or cream, depending on regional preferences. in the english-speaking caribbean islands it is common to add cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and almond essence to the oats, water and milk. some manufacturers of breakfast cereal, such as scott's porage oats and, in republic of ireland, flahavan's progress oatlets, sell 'ready-made' forms and/or products based on pre-cooked oatmeal. porridge is one of the easiest ways to digest grains or legumes and is used traditionally in many cultures to nurse the sick back to health. it is common
Porridges Scottish_cuisine World_cuisine