Almond Porridge

Almond porridge is a traditional food in my hometown in Northeast China. It is made from bitter almonds, millet and beans. It has the fragrance of millet and the rich aroma of almonds. When combined with the flavor of beans, it is really delicious.

Every autumn is the best time to eat almond porridge, because this is the harvest season for millet, almonds and beans. In my hometown in the countryside, soak half a basin of bitter almonds in water in advance, peel them, and then put them into a stone mill with a small amount of water to grind them into powder. The white almond powder flows into the basin with water, just like fresh milk, and the aroma of almonds is slightly bitter. At this time, rinse the newly picked beans on the rack with water, cut them into small dices, and set aside. The purpose of adding beans is that the fragrance of beans can make the porridge taste better, and more importantly, beans can detoxify almonds. Then wash the millet, add water and boil it together with the ground almond powder, add an appropriate amount of salt, and use a spoon to constantly stir the soup in the pot when cooking, so as to remove the bitterness and toxicity of the almonds. There is a saying in my hometown that "bitter or not, three hundred and sixty", which means that it takes three hundred and sixty times to completely remove the bitterness and toxicity of the almonds. After the bitterness of the almonds is removed, add the beans, cook it, and the porridge is thick and you can eat it.

In the past, we ate almond porridge in the rural hometown, which was mainly made of beans. This was because every family was poor, with a large population and little food. It was called almond porridge, but it was actually vegetable porridge. In addition, almonds are oily, so they can help people stay fuller. Moreover, compared with other vegetable porridges, almond porridge tastes the best, so it has always been a favorite food of my family.

Now from a health perspective, the climate in the north is dry in autumn, and almonds have the effect of moistening the lungs and relieving coughs. Eating some almonds is also very good for the body.

Three things to note: First, the water used to soak almonds is toxic and cannot be eaten; second, they must be stir-fried until the bitter taste of the almonds is gone; third, green beans must be added.