Muesli
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Muesli (müsli in German or birchermüesli in Switzerland, pronounced ['mju:z li] in English and ['my:s li] in German) is a popular breakfast dish (breakfast cereal) based on uncooked rolled oats and fruit. There are two main variants.
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Dry muesli
The first type of muesli is a loose mixture of mainly rolled oats and often also wheat flakes, together with various pieces of dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Today, dry muesli is widely available in the form of pre-packaged mixes. Many people also enjoy mixing their own. There are many varieties, some of which also contain honey powder, spices, or chocolate. Dry muesli can be stored conveniently for many months. It is served quickly after mixing it with milk, yoghurt, or fruit juice and (if available) pieces of fresh fruit.
Fresh muesli
The second type of muesli is a freshly prepared mixture that includes rolled oats that have been soaked in water or fruit juice, as well as finely grated or blended apple. Popular other ingredients include additional grated or choped fresh fruit (e.g., bananas, berries, grapes, mango), dried fruit, milk products (e.g., yoghurt, cream, condensed milk, fromage frais, quark), lemon juice, ground nuts, seeds, spices (especially cinnamon), honey, and muesli mix. People who use an electrical blender to prepare apples for fresh muesli find that adding a piece of banana eases the process. Fresh muesli is not suitable to be mixed with milk, which easily coagulates when in the presence of the acids in apple or lemon juice.
History
Muesli was invented in 1900 by Swiss doctor Maximilian Bircher-Benner for patients in his hospital. The term is a Swiss German diminutive of the German noun "mus", a cooking term for a semi-liquid made from raw or cooked fruit that lacks an exact English equivalent, but that is related to mush, paste, compote or the French purée.
Original Bircher-Benner müesli recipe
The original Bircher-Benner recipe is still a prototype for most fresh muesli today (serves 1):
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats, soaked in 2-3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon sweet condensed milk (or cream)
- 200 g apple (preferably a sour variety), finely grated and mixed with the above directly before serving
- optionally top with 1 tablespoon ground hazelnuts or almonds
Health benefits
All the main ingredients of muesli are considered important elements of a healthy diet:
- A diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetable has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of cancer and other age-related diseases, and fresh muesli is a tasty way to start the day with one or two portions of fresh fruit.
- Oat products have been shown to help lower high blood cholesterol concentration (hypercholesterolemia) and thereby reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis.
- Products made from whole oat and wheat grains are rich in fibre and essential trace elements.
- Some types of nuts (especially hazelnuts) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with many health benefits, including the development of the nervous system
- Milk products, often served with muesli, are a rich source of protein.