Griessmüesli (Semolina Porridge)

Griessmüesli (lit. semolina muesli) has been a staple comfort food for Swiss children for centuries. My grandmother used to make it for my mum when she was a child in the 1940ies, my mum made it for me in the 1980ies and I’m now making it too, both for my kids and myself because I still love it. The recipe for making the porridge itself is quite basic, but every family has their own topping. Many families eat it with freshly squeezed orange juice on top, others sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. The way my grandmother used to prepare it for my mum and her siblings is still the way we do it too, and I find it the most delicious way, although I’ve never met anyone who does this too: sprinkled with plenty of grated dark chocolate and butter flakes. The porridge is served hot, hence the chocolate is melting and the butter flakes too, leaving many small puddles of melted butter in a sea of chocolate. This, for me, is childhood heaven. Swiss children eat Griessmüesli either as a snack or when they’re recovering from an illness. There’s many more toppings you could use, from fresh or stewed fruit to nuts or yoghurt, this dish allows for a lot of creativity. And, of course there are the Griessköpfli too, they’re made in a smiliar way but often contain more flavourings and raisins and are of a firm consistency, often eaten with a berry syrup or stewed fruit. I’ll make them soon for another post.

Recipe for 4 people

• 75g wheat semolina (German: Weizengriess, to be found in the supermarket baking shelf)
• 7.5dl (3 cups) milk
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• Topping 1: cinnamon and sugar
• Or topping 2: 1 orange
• Or topping 3: 15g (0.5oz) butter and 50g (1.8oz) grated dark chocolate

Method

In a saucepan, bring the milk to the boil. Add the semolina and salt and sugar and stir well. Cover and let cook at a low to medium temperature for 10-15 minutes, stirring ocasionally.

Fill the porridge into four small bowls and add the topping of your choice. For the chocolate butter topping, sprinkle 1/4 of the chocolate on each of the four bowls and then cut the butter into small pieces and sprinkle on top. Eat while still warm!