Oat Milk

Oat milk is made by mixing the oat grain with water. Where exactly the plant originated is not entirely clear, but it likely has its roots in South West Asia along with emmer and barley. Nowadays oats are predominantly cultivated in Germany, southern Sweden, the British Isles, northern France, North America and West Asia. In Europe, oat has a centuries-long tradition, but was relegated to cattle feed for some time – unfairly, as it is rich in vitamins and minerals.

There are many different types of oat milk available – with or without added sugar, calcium, vanilla or chocolate flavouring. It is worth checking the ingredient list to find out how the oat milk was sweetened or whether it includes plant oil, which is sometimes used to make oat milk creamier and whiter. You can also buy unprocessed oat milk or, if you have the time, easily make it yourself.

To make your own oat milk you need 80 grams of oats, 1 litre of water, and a sprinkling of salt and sugar if desired. Bring the water to boil, add the oats, salt and sugar (if applicable) and leave to simmer. The result should be a porridge-like mass that is left to cool and then passed through a sieve lined with a linen or cotton cloth. Collect the oat milk in a bowl and then store in the fridge in a sealable bottle or glass. In the fridge, homemade oat milk can keep for 3 days.

Oat milk can be used in place of cow’s milk in drinks like tea, coffee or hot chocolate. To use oat milk for baking, simply swap cow’s milk for the same quantity of oat milk. Additionally, the flavour of oat milk goes well in salty meals.

Try making a quick and easy soup out of oat milk, spices, seeds and vegetables. Fry fennel and sesame seeds separately in a little oil. Then lightly fry onions, garlic and ginger, mix in the oat milk and leave to cook for 15 minutes. Finally, add fried and salted Swiss chard, fennel seeds and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Unusual, but delicious!