grötar

Grötar are warm, thickened cereals made by cooking grains in water or milk until they reach a porridge-like consistency. The term gröt is used in several Nordic languages to denote porridge, with grötar serving as a plural form in some contexts. Porridges have a long history as a staple breakfast and comfort food in Northern and Central Europe, adapting to local grains and tastes.

Common bases for grötar include oats (havregröt), rice (risgröt), semolina (mannagrynsgröt), rye groats (råggröt), and millet or cornmeal. They are typically simmered slowly to develop a creamy texture and are often seasoned with salt for savory dishes or sweetened with sugar or honey and topped with cinnamon, butter, berries, or cream. Some regional variants mix in milk, cream, or stock to alter richness and flavor.

Regional varieties include havregröt (oat porridge) and risgröt (rice porridge). Risgröt is a traditional Christmas dish in Sweden, commonly served with cinnamon sugar and butter, and sometimes with a hidden almond in the porridge as part of a holiday custom. In Finland, similar dishes are referred to as puuro and span a range of grains, while in Denmark and Norway, grød and other porridge forms are common everyday foods.

Preparation practices differ by grain and culture, but grötar generally emphasize simple ingredients, flexible textures, and the ability to stretch basic staples into a nourishing meal. They remain a basic, adaptable category of traditional cereals worldwide.