In Scotland, breakfast often includes oatmeal porridge, made traditionally with just three ingredients: oats, water, and salt. The essential tool for stirring this mixture is a spurtle, a wooden tool that Bob Shorter carves in the Scottish Highlands. His wife, Hilary Shorter, follows the traditional practice of stirring porridge clockwise with this tool.
Hilary explains the spurtle’s effectiveness: “It’s the shape! You can get right into the edge of the pan, and you can get a really good stir.” This tool shares its name with a renowned competition: The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships. This year’s event is scheduled for Oct. 3 in the Scottish Highlands.
Alan Rankin organizes this event, holding the title of porridge chieftain. “It’s like a mini-World Cup!” he describes. Participants from countries such as Bulgaria, Chechnya, Mexico, Slovenia, Spain, and Venezuela flock to the small village of Carrbridge, known for its two bridges and a pub.
The event kicks off with a local whisky ambassador’s toast, followed by the competition at 10:30 AM. This free event attracts spectators, who aim to secure spots to watch the porridge battle unfold. In competition, 30 contestants use double-burner stations to cook, with only six advancing to the finals.
Contestants must use steel-cut pinhead oats, which differ from flat rolled oats with their rounder and nuttier quality. Salts such as pink Himalayan, kosher, or sea salt are allowed. Some competitors even bring water from unique sources like mountain springs.
Judges employ a secret numbering system to evaluate bowls based on flavor, texture, consistency, and “mouth feel.” Sarah Rankin, a former Masterchef finalist, acts as the emcee, highlighting the significance of oats in Scotland. According to her, oats endure in Scotland’s climate and provide sustenance in harsh winters.
Last year’s winner, Sven Seljom, used a rare black oat, an ancient grain rediscovered by farmers in 2016. These oats are darker and have a slight crunch, which helped Seljom secure victory.
This year, Seljom faces new challengers striving to perfect their porridge skills to compete in the Highlands.