On Food and Cooking

mueslis, and manufactured breakfast cereals.
There are several reasons for the relatively
minor status of oats. Like barley, oats have no
gluten-producing proteins, which means that
they can’t be made into light raised breads.
The kernel has adherent husks that make it
difficult to process. Oats contain from two to
five times the fat that wheat does, mainly in
the bran and endosperm rather than the germ,
and also carry large amounts of a fat-digesting
enzyme. The combination means that oats
have a tendency to become rancid. They
require a heat treatment that inactivates the
enzyme in order to prevent rapid deterioration
during storage.
On the other hand, oats do have several
virtues. They’re rich in indigestible
carbohydrates called beta-glucans, which
absorb and hold water, give hot oatmeal its
smooth, thick consistency, have a tenderizing,
moistening effect in baked goods, and help
lower our blood cholesterol levels. The