Oats, Thick

Thick Oats

Is any comfort food more comforting than oatmeal made from thick rolled oats? Thick oats cook up in a reasonable amount of time, while maintaining high nutritional value and a texture both chewy and creamy. The minimal processing starts with kiln-toasting the groats (stripped of their hulls), to stabilize the fats inside the seed and enhance the lightly sweet, nutty flavor. The stabilized groats then get rolled into thick flakes. Thick rolled oats intended for oatmeal require less cooking than steel cut oats (no rolling), but somewhat more time than “regular” rolled oats and significantly more than the partially cooked variety known as quick oats. Their nutritional value ranks between steel-cut and quick.

Thick oats aren’t just for breakfast. They add texture and flavor to smoothies, cookies and breads. They can serve as a substitute for rice, whether as stuffing or side dish. Scotland, where oats thrive in the cool, wet climate, has developed myriad uses for this grain. For example, it binds together Highland black pudding, an exotic concoction of sheep’s blood and seasonings.

Oats are nutritionally dense, packed with protein, vitamins and soluble fiber. The latter reduces bad forms of serum cholesterol, promotes digestive regularity and balances blood sugar levels. Oats are one of the few foods containing avenanthramides, antioxidants that elevate the body’s nitric oxide production, improving blood flow and dilating blood vessels.

Despite their high nutritional value and diverse culinary applications, oats were late-comers to the human diet, in comparison with other cereal grains. They’ve been cultivated for “only” three millennia. In fact, the ancient Romans dismissed oats as food fit only for cattle. Of course, oat-munching Germanic tribes ended up conquering the oat-disdaining Romans.

Wholesale buyers shopping in bulk may prefer our 50-pound sacks of thick rolled oats. We also offer 5-pound bags.