Frumenty is an indulgent yet healthy and sustaining start to the day. It’s a traditional soft but chewy wholegrain wheat porridge, sweetened with raisins and honey, gently spiced and enriched with cream and orange zest. It’s really simple to make, but needs time for the grains to cook properly. Slow food has never tasted better. Vegan version available.
No Christmas is complete for us without a bowl of delicious frumenty in the morning. Because it’s chewy, it takes time to eat, so it’s perfect for a convivial festive breakfast. It feels indulgent too, which is also something you want for a special occasion. And it happily keeps us going until the big feast later in the day.
But don’t let this confine you to Christmas only. It’s a lovely porridge to make for any slow weekend breakfast or special occasion.
What is Frumenty?
Frumenty, which is also known as fermenty or fermity, is a medieval breakfast dish made from whole wheat berries. The name comes from frumentum, which means “grain” in Latin. It’s a sort of wheat porridge which started life as a savoury dish, but later morphed into a sweet one.
I’ve seen frumenty recipes with eggs in the ingredient list, but I’ve never eaten this version. My recipe contains no eggs, but is enriched with cream and sweetened with dried fruit and honey.
Strangely frumenty used to be made with almond milk. I say strangely, as I very much associate almond milk with modern eating and plant-based diets. How wrong I am. One day, I shall have to make almond milk and try cooking the wheat berries in that rather than water.
Traditionally frumenty was a festive dish served for breakfast at Christmas or on Mothering Sunday. It was also popular at sheep shearing time as it gave the shearers the oomph they needed to keep going. I think I’ll stick with the Christmas breakfast theme.
What Are Wheat Berries?
Wheat berries are the grains of wheat before they’re ground into flour. They’re particularly healthy as they’re barely processed, so they contain all of the wheat germ, bran and endosperm. This means they’re high in protein, fibre and micronutrients. There are a lot of health benefit claims but I won’t go into them here. Google it if you’re interested.
When cooked, wheat berries are chewy in texture and have a slight nutty taste. You can use them instead of rice for savoury dishes and they work well in salads too. However, I like them best in this traditional frumenty breakfast dish.
You don’t need to soak wheat berries before you cook them, but unless you’re going to cook them long and slow, I highly recommend doing so. It makes them plumper and generally more palatable.
Where Can You Buy Wheat Berries?
It used to be really quite difficult to get hold of wheat berries, but they’re now a lot easier to obtain. Any self-respecting whole food shop or health food shop will stock them and you should be able to find them in most supermarkets too.
If you go online, you’ll have no problems finding them. Hodmedod’s in the UK is really good as they only sell UK grown wheat berries and they stock organic ones too.
Why is Frumenty Perfect For Christmas Breakfast?
- It’s delicious and full of festive flavour.
- It’s easy to prepare.
- If you have a slow cooker (or aga), you can cook the grains overnight and it’s pretty much ready to go in the morning.
- It’s nutritious.
- It’s filling and will keep you going until the big festive feast.
- The grains are chewy, so it takes a while to eat, which makes for a companionable Christmas morning breakfast.
- It’s traditional.
- It’s different.
How to Make Frumenty
Frumenty is ever so simple to make. You just need time for the wheat berries to do their thing. But this doesn’t mean you need much in the way of hands-on time. On the contrary, preparation takes all of five minutes.
Wheat grains don’t go completely soft like rice, there’s always a bit of chew to them, but that makes for a more satisfying eating experience. Frumenty is not a breakfast to bolt down when you’re in a hurry, it’s one for savouring.
I usually use spelt berries to make frumenty because I like the flavour and they’re a particularly nutritious grain. But really, you can use any wheat berry to make frumenty. Go with what you can get hold of or prefer.
When it comes to seasoning, feel free to swap the nutmeg for a pinch of another sweet spice such as cinnamon, cloves or ginger. Or add a little of them all.
You can cook frumenty in a slow cooker, or in a pan on the hob. The slow cooker is my preferred method as the grains really have time to absorb the water and swell up. I cook the wheat berries overnight so they’re ready just in time for breakfast. My mother always cooks hers in the bottom oven of her aga.
Frumenty: Slow Cooker Method
Place the spelt, raisins and water into your slow cooker and leave it to cook on its lowest setting for six hours or overnight. By this time, the grains should have absorbed all the water and be sweetened by the raisins.
It’s then just a case of stirring in the other ingredients and ladling into bowls.
Frumenty: Oven Top Method
If you’re going to use the stove method, you’ll need to soak the grains overnight. You can then cook them up fairly quickly in a pan. They’ll take thirty to forty minutes.
Check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up. You really don’t want burnt wheat berries for breakfast. But don’t add too much. You want the grains to have soaked up all of the water by the time they’re cooked. Like rice, it’s good to keep the lid on and allow the grains to steam for five to ten minutes after you’ve turned the heat off.
It’s then just a case of stirring in the other ingredients and ladling into bowls.
Vegan Frumenty
Frumenty is too good a dish for vegans to miss out on. If you want to try a vegan version, simply swap the honey for maple syrup and the cream for coconut cream. Or you could go back a few hundred years and try cooking the wheat berries in almond milk, like they used to. It won’t be the same, but it will still be delicious.
Other Indulgent Breakfasts You Might Like
- Breakfast banana bread
- Chestnut chia chocolate pancakes (dairy free)
- Huevos rancheros with smashed avocado
- Savoury brioche French toast
- Spiced kefir pancakes with honey and crème fraîche chocolate sauce
- Tofu scramble
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you try this Christmas breakfast frumenty, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Frumenty. PIN IT.
Frumenty – The Recipe
Frumenty
Ingredients
- 150 g whole spelt berries (grains) (can use other wheat berries instead)
- 50 g raisins
- 570 ml water (1 pt)
- 1 orange
- 1 tbsp honey
- 100 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- good grating of nutmeg (or use a pinch of your favourite sweet spice)
Instructions
Slow Cooker Method
- Place the spelt, raisins and water into your slow cooker and leave it to cook on it’s lowest setting for six hours or overnight. By this time, the grains should have absorbed all the water and be sweetened by the raisins.150 g whole spelt berries (grains), 50 g raisins, 570 ml water
- Grate in the orange zest and nutmeg to taste. Then stir in the honey and cream.1 orange, 1 tbsp honey, 100 ml double cream (heavy cream), good grating of nutmeg
- If the grains are cooked, but cold when you wake up in the morning, just heat everything up so that it’s hot, but not boiling. I turn my slow cooker back on for fifteen minutes.
- Serve warm with some orange slices to squeeze over the top, if desired.
Oven Top Method.
- Soak the grains in water overnight. Drain, place in a pan, add the raisins and just cover with water. Bring to a boil then simmer gently for thirty to forty minutes or until cooked. Check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up. But you want the grains to have soaked up all of the water by the time they’re cooked. Like rice, it’s good to keep the lid on and allow the grains to steam for five to ten minutes after you’ve turned the heat off.150 g whole spelt berries (grains), 50 g raisins, 570 ml water
- Grate in the orange zest and nutmeg to taste. Then stir in the honey and cream.1 orange, 1 tbsp honey, 100 ml double cream (heavy cream), good grating of nutmeg
- Serve warm with some orange slices to squeeze over the top, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing this recipe for Christmas breakfast frumenty with Cooking With My Kids for #CookBlogShare.
Sharon says
What a fun idea for Christmas morning – especially when it is just two of us. I love the idea of adding nutmeg! Super festive.
Choclette says
Nutmeg and orange are key ingredients if you’re going to have it on Christmas morning.
Nart at Cooking with Nart says
I have never heard of frumenty before and enjoyed reading about what it is in your post so thanks for sharing! It looks so hearty and healthy – definitely right up my alley!
Choclette says
It’s a sadly forgotten about breakfast food, but it’s a really good one.
Sisley White says
Absolutely delicious and I think a much nicer way to start the day with porridge. The orange really makes it!
Choclette says
Thanks Sisley. The orange is integral, it just wouldn’t be the same without it.
Jersey Girl Cooks says
Such a great breakfast filled with interesting flavors!
Choclette says
Yes indeed, interesting textures too. It’s the sort of thing that sounds a bit weird, but it’s delicious when you try it.
sherry says
wheat berries? sounds so cute. and very hearty. have a great and safe festive season.
cheers
sherry
Choclette says
Hahaha, hadn’t thought of them as cute exactly, but they can be delicious. Hope all is well with you to Sherry and Merry Christmas.
Helen - Cooking with my kids says
This looks like the perfect hearty breakfast for Christmas day.
Choclette says
It’s one I look forward to every year.
angiesrecipes says
I love whole wheat berries…chewy and really yummy.
Choclette says
They’re really good and it’s great to see more and more places selling them and more recipes for them too.