Oat

Oat is a hardy cereal grain with pale, grooved kernels typically sold dehulled as groats or flattened into flakes. It tastes mildly nutty with a toasty aroma and cooks to a pleasantly chewy or creamy texture depending on the cut. Cooks use it for hot porridge, baking, granola, and as a binder in burgers or meatloaf; common retail forms include whole groats, steel-cut, rolled, and quick oats.\n\nDomesticated from wild oats in temperate Europe and western Asia, the crop spread across cooler regions suited to its short growing season. Modern production centers include Canada, Russia, the United States, and northern Europe, where processors kiln-dry dehulled oats to stabilize enzymes before cutting or rolling.