Brose

Brose is a Scots word for an uncooked form of porridge: oatmeal (and/or other meals) is mixed with boiling water and allowed to stand for a short time. It is eaten with salt and butter, milk or buttermilk. A version of brose is called crowdie, made with ground oats and cold water, though that term is more often used for a type of cheese.

In the 16th century, a mixture of oatmeal and water was carried by shepherds; brose resulted from the agitation of the mixture as they climbed the hills (Hartley 1954).

In addition to oats, brose could be made with barley meal, peasemeal, or a mixture of different meals. Other ingredients, such as nettle tops, kale, and swede may be added to the basic brose (Davidson op.cit.).

Atholl brose is an alcoholic drink involving brose.

References

• Hartley, Dorothy (1954). Food in England. London: MacDonald. p. 676. 
• Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. xix + 892. ISBN 0-19-211579-0.