The Wrong Porridge

This is a historic and important issue. If you look at historic lists of what has been left behind after expo at basecamp you will find records of many kilos of "wrong custard" and "wrong oats".

Oatso and other "instant" oats

Oatso (Quaker brand) is the gold standard for instant oats. However close inspection of the cooking instructions shows very little difference between this and much cheaper Mornflakes Instant Oats; and Mornflakes is available in 2 kg bags not just individual sachets.

In 2018 the experiment was done: take one topcamp-type mug (plastic) put in dry oats and add the right amount (just covering the oats) of boiling water. No added milk powder. Wait 2 minutes and test for taste and mouthfeel: is it cooked?

Results:

Oatso after 3 minutes is creamy and cooked. Not after 2 minutes: yuk.
Mornflakes Instant after 2 minutes is not cooked, but after 10 minutes is completely cooked (and cool enough to eat).

The test was not done at 3 minutes, 5 minutes etc. All these oats seem to be partly-cooked rolled oats, but Oatso seems to have smaller flakes and more "fines" in the mix which is why it cooks slightly more quickly. Feel free to extend the experiment yourself.

So we declare that Mornflakes Instant Oats is the "right" porridge. Only impatient whingers would complain.

At basecamp, the correct way to cook porridge is: (1) put oats in pan the night before with skimmed milk to cover. (2) the next morning boil for 2 minutes having added just enough milk to make it stirrable. Stir continuously. (3) add cold orange juice or similar to reduce temperature from "injurious" to "edible", (4) eat.

The Wrong Custard

Most custard powder requires lengthy cooking: 6 minutes of near-boiling temperature (at boiling point at 1,850m at top camp) and a lot of added milk. Custard powder is cornstarch/cornflour + sugar + flavourings, so the flour has to be cooked.

Instant custard (the "right" custard") has milk powder in it, and (somehow) partially-cooked cornflour so you just need to add hot water and stir it, which can be done in a mug.

A jar of Bird’s Instant Custard Powder lists as its ingredients the following: cornstarch (aka cornflour in the UK), milk solids, glucose solids, vegetable fat, sugar, flavours, salt, potassium phosphate, emulsifier, free-flowing agent, colorants including Tartrazine, and acidifying agent.
Nutrition Facts Per 175 ml / ¾ cup, prepared Amount
Calories 104, Fat 2.3 g (Saturated 1.8 g), Carbohydrate 19.7 g
Fibre 0.1 g, Sugars 12.8 g, Protein 1.0 g

Footnotes

When making notes for next year and the people who will do this after you, please be more precise than your predecessors. How much is "one large drum-full" of packet soup for god's sake.

Back to Expo Bulk Food Order.
Back to Expo Planning Guide.