I love porridge and generally prefer it with some sweetening. As an alternative to melting brown sugar on the top, I’ve started cooking it with a handful of raisins and some Longans. If you give it a reasonable time (say at least 8-10 mins in a pan, or in the microwave on the lowest setting) the fruit swells up and releases its natural sugars.

The other important ingredient is a little spice. If you have some Cinnamon stick, add a piece (say an inch, to taste) at the start. If you’ve only got ground cinnamon, add it near the end.

Each person’s tastes are slightly different, so feel free to treat these as a starting point and adjust as required! If you’re using a microwave and have sussed the settings needed so it doesn’t “boil over”, this is a nice thing to leave cooking whilst you do your morning Qijong, Yoga or T’ai Chi. You’ve then got a treat waiting for you at the end

Having found some fresh ones recently, the next goal is to try and get some of the pips to grow!