Alexandra Alden’s Love Of Porridge, Explored & Explained 🤎
If there is anything we have to thank the 2020 Lockdown for, it’s the blossoming of Alex Alden from Malta’s Lady Gaga to Global (ad hoc) Porridge Queen.
From typical honey and milk toppings to - brace yourselves - orange pulp (🤔) and almonds, Alex gave us one hell of a schooling in how to up the oats game while we were all stuck indoors.
So, I thought why not dive into the deep end and ask the X Factor judge every question we’ve been asking ourselves since her very first bowl was uploaded to her stories...
Taking us back to the very beginning, Alex’s relationship with porridge started when she moved to the Netherlands and was living alone. 🇳🇱
“I needed a breakfast that would allow me to survive the morning without collapsing and toast wasn’t going to cut it.”
Alex, we feel you. 🤷♂️
And while it wasn’t exactly oats themselves that got Alex into porridge, she’s never looked back.
“One of the first friends I made when I moved over,” Alex tells us, “was a bowl of cornmeal porridge that was dripping with masses of honey and crushed nuts. I had never tasted anything like that before and it was absolutely delicious. It blew my mind.” 🤯
And it’s blowing ours. In fact, I’m writing this with a bowl of porridge myself. Yum.
We had to ask the most important question next, and that was where on Earth the idea to use orange pulp as a topping came from. Mainly because I hate pulp in my juice and think anyone who doesn’t is akin to the left-handers of Catholicism in history. 🤣
But the reasoning behind it all does actually make great sense.
“It came as an idea after my boyfriend had decided to make orange juice. I really hate wasting things and this was at the height of my porridge experimentation during lockdown when I thought of a great flavour combo - chocolate and orange!” 🍫+🍊=😍
The pulp itself became the highlight of the dish, and honestly, I might not be too put off trying it myself the next time I squeeze a few oranges… ♻️
We were also desperate to find out if Alex has a go-to bowl she can always rely on, or if the toppings come to her in the moment. “Overnight oats make my stomach churn,” she tells us.
“I try to use fruits that are in season, but generally whatever I have on hand will be used. Cinnamon and banana porridge with generous drizzles of honey or maple syrup is the easiest go-to in my opinion, though.” 🍯
But we also wondered if there was anything else Alex likes to turn to for breakfast on the days where porridge just might be a bit too heavy. And it seems as though the answer to this can also be found on her Instagram page: smoothie bowls. 🍓
“Making smoothie bowls is a really delicious alternative in the summer when you want something lighter and cooler in warmer weather.”
“I love to indulge in fresh pastries, alongside a plant-based café au lait or a single-origin black coffee,” Alex admits. We love a sustainably-conscious porridge-loving queen. 🥐
“Pancakes are amazing, too.” Yes, they are, Alex. Yes. They. Are. 🥞
And you might also be surprised to hear that Alex gives two thumbs up to instant oats - something my own mother calls a “lazy-maker”.
“They’re easy, quick and budget-friendly! Plain instant oats are the way to go if you want to avoid unnecessary sugars and you can always dress your bowl up with your favourite toppings, too!” 🌾
Alex currently lives in Rotterdam, just a thirty-minute train ride out of Amsterdam and the second biggest city in the Netherlands. It’s also the home of Eurovision2021 and, as Alex describes, “a great city - way cosier than the bustle of Amsterdam.” But that doesn’t mean Alex doesn’t visit the famous coffee-shop haven. 🤩
“When I’m in Malta, I love dining with my parents and relatives in their homes. My family is full of amazing cooks and no one quite puts the same amount of love into a dish than my mum! Sometimes we do like to eat out as a family, too, much like many Maltese families. There is an endless amount of great restaurants in Malta.” 🍽️
Alex Alden, speaking the truth since 1994.
We couldn’t speak to Alex without asking her about her music either. So to throw food into the mix, we asked if there was anything other than Wild Honey & Thyme that inspired her music.
“I feel like fruit can inspire a lot of symbols and metaphors. For instance, in my song ‘Muscle & Blood’ I use fruit as a metaphor for love becoming ‘bruised and battered’ and how the ‘soil’ - the foundations for our love, or ‘fruit tree’ - was not fertile enough to support or nourish romantic love.
And if you’re now asking yourself if wild honey and thyme sounds like an absolute genius porridge topping, our queen delivers once again with a resounding “absolutely”.
“I have tried it and can highly recommend it.” Give us a second, we’re just getting the kettle on…
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