Nordic Oatmeal Cooking Competition
Miller, Lennart Svahn from the Stopafors Mill, Sunne who inspired onlookers with his miniature flour mill
A language teacher with a passion for oatmeal took the wining title as porridge (oatmeal ) makers from far and wide gathered in the Swedish town of Sunne last weekend for the first ever Nordic Oatmeal Cooking Championship.
Pia Redin from Karlstad won over the judges with her oatmeal recipe cooked with banana and topped with sunflower seeds, raw sugar and a pinch of cinnamon.She will now go on to compete in the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship to be held in the Scottish Highland village of Carrbridge in October.
The Nordic championship, which provided a showcase of different recipes, coincided with a meeting of the Swedish Rural Parliament attended by more than 1,200 delegates from 23 different countries,
Included in the list of contenders were a team of ladies from the Kollsberg heritage musuem in Torsby (40 km north of Sunne). Dressed in traditional costume, they cooked up age-old Finnish recipes including a favourite with the onlookers – oatmeal with bacon and lingonberry jam.
The idea for the event had been put forward by miller Lennart Svahn from the Stopafors Mill in Sunne – the only mill in the world producing skradmjol, a roasted oat flour dating back to the 17th century. The miller, who inspired the Nordic audience with his miniature working flour mill, was among a delegation of Swedish visitors who had visited Carrbridge for the 2009 World Porridge Making Championship.
He was delighted that the first Nordic competition was such a resounding success and is in no doubt that the Nordic oatmeal queen will prove a worthy contender for the world title. ”Pia is an oatmeal enthusiast and is always experimenting with different recipes as well as being keen to spread the word about the proven health benefits of eating oatmeal,” he said.
Among those on hand to keep a watchful eye on the Nordic proceedings were Linda Jolly, co-ordinator of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge making Championships and Carrbridge’s own master porridge maker, Ian Bishop who won the world porridge making title in 2008.
The judges, headed up by Roland Neubauer owner of the Saffran och Vitlok cafe and delicateseen, in Sunne, agreed that everyone had been impressed by the standard of entries and it had been a difficult job choosing the winner.
Claiming the hand carved laddle trophy, Pia was thrilled at her success.
“My brothers laughed when I told them I was entering the competition. I can’t wait to tell them I won and will be going to Scotland to take part in the world championship,” she said.
Pia’s oatmeal recipe
Ingredients: 2 oz oats, 2 oz rye flakes, 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, a little cinnamon, pinch of salt, 1/2 banana (sliced), 2 tablespoons toasted oat flour (Skradmjol). Stir the oats, rye flake, salt, flour and banana together and let it boil for 5 minutes. Serve with the raw sugar, cinnamon and toasted sunflower seeds sprinkled on top.
Nordic winner Pia Redin demonstrates her oatmeal cooking skills with World Porridge Making Championship co-ordinator, Linda Jolly and Carrbridge's 2008 world champion, Ian Bishop keeping a watchful eye.
