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Oatstanding Victory: Dutch & Aussie Queens of Porridge Crowned
4 Oct
Summary
- Dutch champion Gina Saarberg won the Golden Spurtle using water from the Netherlands.
- Australian Rob Reid took the speciality award with his unique porridge cannoli.
- The annual contest, held in Carrbridge, featured 30 competitors from 14 countries.
Two national porridge champions from opposite sides of the world have been victorious at the annual World Porridge Making Championship held in the Scottish Highlands.
Gina Saarberg, 28, from Zuthphen in the Netherlands, secured the coveted Golden Spurtle award. She utilized her Dutch championship recipe, consisting of organic pinhead oats, salt, and water she brought from her home country. Saarberg noted the importance of salt in enhancing the porridge's flavors and aromas, and speculated that the mineral content of her water might have been a key factor in her success.
In the Speciality Porridge category, Australian champion Rob Reid, 36, from Sydney, was awarded the Pearly Spurtle. Reid introduced an innovative porridge cannoli, a novel dessert incorporating oatmeal into a Sicilian-inspired pastry. This creation leveraged his dual heritage, blending his father's Scottish roots with his mother's Sicilian background.
Reid's unique recipe involved infusing ricotta and mascarpone cream with sieved porridge and toasted oats, then filling shells made with Sicilian Marsala wine. He dedicated considerable time to perfecting this recipe after winning the Australian national competition.
The championship, established in 1994 in Carrbridge, aims to promote the health benefits of porridge and boost local tourism. Thirty competitors representing 14 countries participated in this year's quirky and friendly competition, fostering good humor and camaraderie among attendees.
