Kasha for breakfast
Scott's Porage Oats - a flashback from my youth
OK … I’ll be honest with you. For me, Breakfast usually consists of a cup of coffee and a piece of toast, (or perhaps two), ideally lavishly spread with Marmite.
I might be tempted to take a Breakfast Cereal, like Corn Flakes of, (my favourite when I was back in the UK), Weetabix, but although some breakfast cereals are available here, these famous brand names aren’t. (The kids seem to like the local variation of Coco Pops … ). One “breakfast cereal” mix that is available here is Museli, (cereals such as uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts).
When travelling, on the other hand, I might get a bit more adventurous. When in France, for example. the minimalist approach equates well with a Grande Café Crème or Hot Chocolate accompanied by Croissant or Pain au Chocolat.
Travelling, however, tends to build up an appetite and I may well be tempted by a “Full English Breakfast“, something like ny father yused to prepare every Sunday morning: Bacon and Eggs, (usually fried but possibly scrambled, poached or boiled – or even maybe an omelette), Tomato, Mushrooms, Baked Beans, Toast, Fried Bread … maybe some and so on … although I would probably pass on the Black Pudding.
If I am in an American type establishment, then I might try “grits” … (coarsely ground corn, cooked in boiling water and seasoned with salt or sugar) … but like most Brits, in contrast to the claim of the Charleston Post and Courier, I find Grits a little hard to digest. It’s not that they are actually difficult to digest, just that they tend to be plain, grainy. I can eat them but, at the risk of upsetting some American readers,basically they are an acquired taste … one that I have yet to acquire … and if there is a choice on the menu, I’m likely to choose the alternative.
In a way, Grits are just another form of maize based porridge although, as a Brit, I tend to have a different understanding of what is meant by the term porridge, (or porage).
It’s probably connected with my introduction to porridge at an early age.
Every now and again, back in my childhood my mother would go to the larder and fetch down the box of Scott’s Porage Oates or Quaker Oats, (the two leading brands in my youth – one with an athletic kilted shot putter on the box, presumably stressing food for a healthy body, and the other with an effigy of a quaker, presumably, supposedly embodying a healthy mind or lifestyle). Shew would then boil up some water and add portions of the mix from the box for my brother and I, (although she would occasionally have some – I don’t remember my father ever trying some).
It was pleasant enough, but always a lot more work than was required for a plate of beans on toast or a bowl of “cereal”, so it wasn’t a frequent part of our diet. I suppose it’s a good job that she wasn’t trying to make the dish in the traditional manner from scratch, which required the pottage simmering away all night.
So. when I first came in 1994, for a holiday, it came as quite a surprise that Kasha was a staple mainstay which is often served up for breakfast – at least, that is, in the hotels and resorts on Lake Issyk Kul. Although people tell me that they often make Kasha at home, I suspect that, just like my mother, they find that it takes a bit too much time and effort in the hustle and bustle of our modern daily lives for it to feature in their regular diet. On the other hand, it presents distinct advantages to the kitchens of a hotel or guest house serving a reasonable number of breakfasts over a prolonged period.
On that first visit to Kyrgyzstan, a group of us went up to Lake Issyk Kul and stayed in one of the larger resorts. We came down to breakfast and were presented with plates of what looked liked Gruel … which is actually just another version of porridge, although I hadn’t made the connection at that time, and the word has somewhat unsavoury connotations bringing up images a young Oliver Twist asking for more in the workhouse – more, even if it was unpalatable.
Anyway, I, gingerly, picked up my spoon and swirled it around in the whitish mash in the dish and asked my companions, “What is it?” The didn’t look too happy and, rather sleepily, replied “Kasha.” ”Great!, Thanks a lot,” I sarcastically thought to myself, “now I am a lot wiser!”. Even so, I took up a spoonful of what seemed to be an unappealing mash and tentatively took a small amount into my mouth. It almost melted away and I uttered in delighted surprise, “Oh, it’s semolina!” Suddenly, I had five plates thrust at me as no-one else seemed to be particularly interested in their portions.
I tried to explain that, for us, semolina is basically a pudding, a dessert, and not a breakfast dish. I had fond memories of adding a spoonful of fruit jam and swirling it around to create a red and white spiral pattern … before gulping the sweet mix down in a ravenous fury. If it had been permitted, we would have been happy to dispense with the spoons and lick the plates clean!
It was at this point that someone explained to me that Kasha is the Russian word for porridge. I was still confused however, because I still thought of porridge as an oatmeal mix boiled in water, (or milk), and served in dollops, with cold milk poured over it and sprinkled with sugar. I soon discovered that the equivalent of what we called porridge, (Scott’s Porage Oates or Quaker Oats), did exist here and was called Ger-kue-lees, (Hercules – there’s usually a picture of the strong man on the packet – like the shot putter … but without a kilt).
In addition to Hercules and Manna, (that’s the Russian name for Semolina), there are many other types of Kasha available. There is for example, another one that I tend to think of as a dessert: Risovaya Kasha – basically, Rice Pudding. Almost any form of grain, (such as wheat, oat, barley, millet, maize, rye and buckwheat), and a variety of legumes (such as peas, beans, lentils and pumpkin seeds) and even vegetables, (such as potatoes), can be used as the basis for Kasha.
I suppose that I shouldn’t have been surprised, as porridge and gruel are very old and traditional foods. In many ways it was cheap and simple, (if, maybe, time consuming), to prepare and is found in cultures all around the world. It is certainly a feature of Russian cuisine … at one point being regarded as the second most important staple foodstuff, (after bread, that is).
I confess that I still don’t make Kasha at home – it’s a bit too much like hard work when compared to putting a couple of pieces of sliced bread into the toaster … but when I am out and about, I do tend to enjoy a plate of Kasha. One of the great attractions is that there is so much variety in ingredients, textures and tastes that each plate seems to be an exploration in itself. Sometimes you meet a plate reminiscent of Grits … edible but nothing special … but occasionally you come across a semolina surprise.
Bishkek