I've always wondered what's the difference between oatmeal and porridge?

Answer 1

Porridge is a simple dish made by boiling oats (normally crushed oats, occasionally oatmeal) or another meal in water, milk or both. Oat and semolina porridge are in many countries the most popular varieties. Some other meals used for porridge include rice, wheat, peasemeal, barley, and cornmeal.

In many cultures, it is eaten as a breakfast, often with the addition of sugar or cream. As the traditional breakfast of Scotland (where it is also spelled porage, after a popular brand name of oats) it is made with salt. Some manufacturers of breakfast cereal sell "ready-made" versions; aficionados question whether these can truly be called porridge. Gruel is a thin porridge made with water.

Answer 2

Snowflake is right. Oatmeal is actually the term for the crushed oats, porridge the preparation with milk or water.
See here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatmeal
However, I think it's a cultural difference too--what we in America call oatmeal really is actually porridge.

Answer 3

Porridge is a way to cook a grain. It doesn't even have to be oat. Oat porridge is oatmeal cooked in a certain way.

Oatmeal is crushed oats. I think uncooked crushes oats are still called oatmeal.

Answer 4

i always thought porridge was just the way scots called oatmeal

Answer 5

Oatmeal is thicker and porrridage is more like grits , but smoother. Pem

Answer 6

oatmeal is thicker that porridge.

Answer 7

I'm quite sure they are the same thing. But i guess I could be wrong

Answer 8

none one is thicker