The benefits of oats
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What oatmeal does
What this vegetable does
It replenishes the Spleen and Stomach, aids digestion and restores energy.
How to eat it
At its best for breakfast as porridge, in a smoothie, or with milk.
A yakuzen note
It brings the digestive system into balance and helps with poor appetite and constipation.
Oatmeal is a grain processed from oats. In yakuzen it is sweet and neutral, held to replenish the Spleen and Stomach and to aid digestion. It is also held to replenish qi, it is kind to the gut, and it is easy to bring in as breakfast or a light meal. Combined with warm ingredients it keeps the body from cooling too far and is easier to keep in balance.
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The types of oatmeal and how to choose them
If you want to enjoy what oatmeal does, it helps to know the grain it comes from, its types and how to choose it. How it is processed changes both the texture and the cooking time, which makes it a versatile grain.
A grain processed from oats
Oatmeal is made by removing the husk from oats and processing the grain so it is easy to cook. It belongs to the same family of grains as rice and wheat, and since it is ready once softened in hot water or milk, it has become a familiar staple for busy mornings. The names change with how far the grain is cut and processed, so you can choose by use. It takes to sweet and savoury alike, which makes it useful across Japanese and Western cooking.
Rolled, steel-cut and instant
Oatmeal comes in types processed to different degrees, which changes the texture and the cooking time.
| kinds | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Rolled oats | Steamed and pressed flat, the standard. A good texture and easy to use |
| Steel-cut oats | Only cut, not flattened. Chewy, and longer to cook |
| Quick and instant oats | Finely processed. Ready with hot water |
Steel-cut or rolled oats if you want the texture, quick or instant oats on a morning with no time: you can choose by the occasion. For risotto or in place of rice, the types that keep their grain suit, and for something smooth and porridge-like, the finer types.
What to look for when choosing
When choosing the oatmeal that suits what you are making, these points make it easier.
- For ease, the quick or instant types, ready with hot water
- For texture, the rolled or steel-cut types that keep their grain
- Choose a plain, unseasoned one and it will serve sweet dishes and savoury alike
If it is your first time, start with rolled oats, which are easy to handle and go from porridge to snacks. Once you are used to it, using different types for different jobs widens what you can cook.
How to eat oatmeal
Oatmeal can be simmered or soaked, and takes to sweet and savoury alike. Here are the usual ways.
As porridge and as overnight oats
The easiest way is porridge, simmered soft in water or milk. Cook it until it thickens and serve it with honey, fruit or kinako for a breakfast that is kind to the gut. When you do not want to use the hob, overnight oats, soaked in yoghurt or milk overnight, are handy and ready to eat in the morning. Grated ginger or a warm drink alongside keeps the body from cooling too far.
Cooked like rice, as risotto, and as a snack
Add a little water and heat it in the microwave and it behaves like cooked rice, ready for savoury porridge, risotto, ochazuke or something in the style of okonomiyaki. Added to a savoury soup it brings thickness and a melting texture. Crushed and mixed into cookie or pancake batter, or baked with fruit into something like granola, it works as a snack as well. Play to the texture of the grain and you can vary the dish.
How to keep oatmeal
Oatmeal is a dried good, so keep it away from damp and insects. It takes up moisture easily in its bag, so move it to an airtight container or a zip bag and keep it somewhere cool and dark, out of direct sun. In summer, or in damp weather, the fridge is reassuring. If you use only a little at a time, splitting it into small portions holds back the damp that comes in each time you open it. Once opened, use it up before the flavour fades.
Alongside this, one likewise held to replenish the Spleen and Stomach, The benefits of Japanese short-grain rice or The benefits of glutinous rice as a guide for everyday cooking.
Easy to use, oatmeal is a grain that covers everything from breakfast to a light meal, whether as porridge, overnight oats, cooked like rice, or as a snack. Rolled and steel-cut for texture, quick and instant for speed: use each type for the job and it shows its best. Bring it in as a dish that is kind to the gut.
