Ina Garten's Daily Oatmeal Includes An Essential Ingredient To Prevent It Tasting Like 'Wallpaper Paste'

Ina Garten loves oatmeal — whether it be in the form of dessert or breakfast. As she told Bon Appétit in 2014, "I have the same thing for breakfast every single day, 365 days a year: McCann's Irish oatmeal." But, being the Barefoot Contessa, her oatmeal is hardly just oatmeal. While she does embrace preparing her go-to breakfast in the microwave, her morning oatmeal recipe never goes without milk and salt. A key ingredient for preparing and preserving creamy oatmeal, milk is not an uncommon ingredient. Salt, however, may be too close to savory oatmeal territory for most people's comfort. Then again, Garten isn't most people.

"Most people don't do their oatmeal with salt, and I think that without it, it just tastes like wallpaper paste," said Garten in her conversation with Bon Appétit. Whether you get the wallpaper-like taste or not, there are some people out there who'd rather eat anything than a bowl of savory oats, which is just what this ingredient suggests. But, it by no means has to go that far. While Garten typically holds off on adding sweetener, she does like to mix in a dash of maple syrup or brown sugar every now and then. 

As shown in a recipe shared with Food Network, Garten also combines the salt with sweet additions like bananas and dried berries. With just a half-teaspoon of salt per serving, the salt should only bring out more of the flavors.

Most people consider oatmeal to be a sweet food, but there's another group of people who enjoy it with savory inclusions. But, just like everything else in the world, your morning oatmeal doesn't have to be so black and white. In fact, it could benefit from a little bit of grey area, with Garten's pinch of salt being just the place to start. From there, you might consider mixing in other salty and savory ingredients to complement your favorite sweet ones — a personal go-to of my own being a spoonful of mellow white miso paste.

Miso paste comes in different varieties, with white miso paste being the least intense of the bunch. It's often added to desserts because of its ability to add interest to sweet flavors, and, when added in with the milk prior to popping your bowl into the microwave, it will give your morning oats a good umami depth. Combined with a dash of maple syrup, a drizzle of honey, date syrup, or a bit of brown sugar, you'll find that the miso paste gives your oatmeal the dimension of flavor and wallpaper-less taste it's long been missing.

With your creamy, umami, and sweet oatmeal as a base, you can top your bowl with any fruits or nuts you might have on hand. Or, if you're feeling the salty flavor, top it with a bit of salted butter or creamy, Middle Eastern tahini for even more dimension.