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Get educated, save $,
This
review is from: McCANN'S Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal, 28-Ounce Tins (Pack of
4) (Grocery)
Even at $6 per canister, this product is inexplicably
overpriced. Let me explain why:Intro to Oats 101--Oats, in whole form, are known as groats. In an effort to cut down on cooking time (or eating time, for those on the run, who don't have the time or patience to chew @mouthful 20-30x), oats are refined into the following:
-steel cut oats--cracked into two or more pieces
-oat flakes--flattened with an oat roller
-oatmeal--same as flakes, but parboiled
-instant oatmeal--more processed than reg. oatmeal
-oat flour--milled into dust, for baked goods or as a thickening
agent.
This product fits into the first category. Their claim of "guaranteed uniformity" is a coined phrase, meaning each cracked grain is the same size, a gourmet characteristic.
All this being said, I am not aware of oats from Scotland or Ireland having any magical or mystical quality, outside of marketing hype or myth. Truth be told, you could go to any health food store with a bulk bin (one sign of a conscientious health food store), buy whole oats, certified organic, for about $2 per lb., and crack your own oats with a grain mill (Corona brand, one time investment, about $70, lifetime expectancy), or in a blender. For those more ambitious, you could cook them whole, which involves soaking them overnight, then simmering for about 90 minutes. Do not be put off by the cooking time, it is unattended, with a flame deflector. Cooking becomes a chore because of prep time, not the time on the stove.
Why whole? Because any time you grind or crack a grain, there is nutrient loss and, to those open to more estoteric models, a loss of life force (a.k.a. "chi").
I did buy this product, and as connoisseur of oats, I was not impressed, did not give the same energy boost as others. Did not taste fresh, either.
Now, onto an advanced concept: if you truly want the "Rolls Royce" of oats, there is a brand called "Really Raw Oats". Why is this? Because the oats commercially available are partially steamed to protect against rancidity (oats are about 10% fat, albeit an exceptionally healthful fat). How do I know this? Because a truly raw grain will sprout. Attempts to sprout other oats have been fruitless.
The Really Raw Oats carry a price tag of about $11 per lb., but are worth it. Conversely, the product here, in my opinion, does not command the price point it seeks.
p.s. the best TASTING oats I had came out of Canada--when you dry-roasted them in a pan, it took on the aroma of vanilla--BLISS! Haven't seen them, however, since the mid 1990's. I purchased from Lynn Paterson, who was pictured in David Sergel's fine book, "Zen Shiatsu"
Bon Appeite, Good Health and Caveat Emptor
-Andrew
McCANN'S Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal, 28-Ounce Tins (Pack of 4)
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