Comments on: Why Our Scottish Ancestors Didn’t Eat Rolled Oats

By: Alison Kay

Alison Kay — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 10:36:53 +0000

Hi Glynis,

It’s lovely to hear from you. Thanks for responding. I have read that porridge was so often poured into wooden drawers to keep for the rest of the week in Scotland. It’s wonderful that your grandmother used to do this. I am sure she would have used stone-ground oatmeal in the 1920s.

By: glynis Laidlaw

glynis Laidlaw — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 07:12:28 +0000

Interesting read and comments. My Fathers Mother (Scottish) used to cook porridge once a week. She set it into a wooden draw, the family cut it into slices for breakfast and poured hot milk over it. Don’t know what kind of Oates, this was in the 1920’s.

By: Alison Kay

Alison Kay — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 09:02:52 +0000

In reply to Mrs A Stolz. Thanks for this information!

By: Mrs A Stolz

Mrs A Stolz — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 23:22:22 +0000

Uncle Toby is the main seller of Rolled Oats in Australia. there is a smaller flake sold as quick oats or instant, I don’t think I have ever seen Quaker Oats in Australian shops.
However good cooks in Australia and New Zealand advocate the larger flake (with plain flour) to make ANZAC biscuits – the hard flat type, because the flavour is better. [Grace]

By: Alison Kay

Alison Kay — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:01:26 +0000

In reply to Tara.

I make oatcakes with fine oatmeal (oatmeal is what we call stone-ground oats in Britain) which is a little thicker but very similar to oat flour – the cakes were traditionally made with this in Britain. You can use my recipe here: https://ancestralkitchen.com/2023/01/19/traditional-scottish-oatcakes/

By: Tara

Tara — Sun, 19 Apr 2026 01:56:53 +0000

I grind oat groats in my Vitamix every morning and eat 1/4 to 1/3 cup, made as porridge in the instant pot. It’s very easy to cook this way taste good and is nourishing.

I am trying to find a recipe for oat cakes made from oat flour, not rolled oats.

By: Alison Kay

Alison Kay — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:07:24 +0000

In reply to Kenyon Fairey. Hi Kenyon! I've not been able to find authentic Scottish oatcakes in any shop. I love the ones I make at home. I hope you enjoy them too!

By: Kenyon Fairey

Kenyon Fairey — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:00:13 +0000

Finally made it to the Scottish Festival [https://www.glasgowlands.org/] here in Northampton, MA. Lived in Western NC for many years and never made it to the Highland Games there – wish I had! In any case, I bought some Scottish Oat Cakes at the festival and liked them so I went looking for a recipe and found your site.

Interestingly, I gave up rolled oats many, many years ago. We almost always use organic steel-cut oats. Even Trader Joe’s offers them now. However, we do look for organic, and since I have gluten-free friends, I try to find ones that are certified GF.

I have also been able to buy oat flour for baking, but it is just as fine as regular flour. I appreciate the person who mentioned Bob’s Red Mill having what are similar to medium ground as I have not tried those. I really like the steel-cut oats.

Now I just have to figure out what to use for my Scottish Oat Cakes when I try your recipe. But, I do have to mention that the oatcakes I bought at the festival list the following ingredients: flour [no idea what kind], butter, oats [who knows what kind], brown sugar, salt, & baking soda. So they are not traditional . . . but they do taste good. I’ll be interested to make the real ones as I have quite a number of Scottish ancestors.

By: Alison Kay

Alison Kay — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:21:59 +0000

In reply to Emily Flint. Do you have a preference for one over the other?

By: Emily Flint

Emily Flint — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 09:57:23 +0000

In reply to Alice. Really interesting article. I was pondering with my friend over the origins of rolled oats, as we ate the Organic Jumbo Rilled Oats Porridge I made for is this morning. I have made porridge with oatmeal, too.