Oatmeal

Oatmeal is made of oat groats (i.e. grains) that have either been ground, crushed, steel-cut, or rolled. Ground oats are also called "white oats". Steel-cut oats are known as "coarse oatmeal" or "Irish oatmeal" or "pinhead oats". The term "oatmeal" is also used in the U.S. and parts of Canada to mean oat porridge. Quaker oats, with its distinctive Quaker man logo, is a brand commonly associated with oatmeal.

Cooking uses

The oat grains are de-husked by impact, then heated and cooled to stabilize the oat groats, the seed inside the husk. The process of heating produces a nutty flavour in the oats. These oat groats may be milled to produce fine, medium or coarse oatmeal. Steel-cut oats may be small and broken groats from the de-husking process; these may be steamed and flattened to produce smaller rolled oats.

Rolled oats are steamed and flattened whole oat groats. Quick-cooking rolled oats (quick oats) are cut into small pieces before being steamed and rolled. Instant oatmeal is precooked and dried, often with sweetener and flavouring added. Both types of rolled oats may be eaten uncooked, as in muesli, or may be cooked to make porridge. They are also used as an ingredient in oatmeal cookies, oatcakes, British flapjack bars and baked oatmeal, or as an accent, as in the topping on many oat bran breads and the coating on Caboc cheese.