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Sowans or sowens (/ˈsuinz/|; /ˈsʌuɪnz/; /sɔɪnz/; /swinz/; Scottish Gaelic: sùghan), also called virpa in Shetland, is a Scottish dish made using the starch remaining on the inner husks of oats after milling. The husks are allowed to soak in water and ferment for a few days. The liquor is strained off and allowed to stand for a day to allow the starchy matter therein to settle. The liquid part, or swats, is poured off and can be drunk. The remaining sowans are boiled with water and salt until thickened, then served with butter or dipped into milk. The flavour is distinctly sour.

See also

• Brochan Lom
• List of porridges

References

1. ^ "Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: SND :: sowans".
2. "Dictionaries of the Scots Language:: SND :: virpa".
3. D A Bender (9 June 2006). Benders' Dictionary of Nutrition and Food Technology. Elsevier Science. p. 439. ISBN 978-1-84569-165-3.
4. McNeill, F. Marian (1929). The Scots Kitchen. Paperback: 259 pages, Edinburgh: Mercat Press; New Edition (25 Oct 2004) ISBN 1-84183-070-4, p202
5. Mairi Robinson, ed. (1987). The Concise Scots Dictionary. Aberdeen University Press. p. 648. ISBN 0-08-028492-2.

v t e Scottish cuisine
Cereal	Brose Porridge Skirlie Sowans
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Other articles: Barbara Gilmour Brochan Lom Fallaid Haggis hurling List of restaurants in Scotland Scotland Food & Drink (Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight) Scottish pork taboo Spurtle Wild haggis
Scotland portal Food portal  Category: Scottish cuisine

v t e Oats
Avena species and cultivars	Avena abyssinica Avena insularis Avena nuda Avena sativa Kherson oat Avena byzantina Avena strigosa
Basic preparations	Groat Oatmeal Oat milk Rolled oats Steel-cut oats
Culinary usage	Anzac biscuit Atholl brose Avena Bannock Black pudding Brenntar Cranachan Dock pudding fermented soup Flapjack Fruit pudding Gomme (food) Granola Gruel Havreflarn Hobnob biscuit Kasha Muesli Oatmeal ball Oat bread Oatcake Oatmeal Crisp Oatmeal raisin cookie Oatmeal stout Parkin Porridge Rock cake Skirlie Sowans Staffordshire oatcake Stornoway black pudding Throdkin White pudding
Brands	Cool-A-Coo It's-It Ice Cream Macroom Oatmeal Maypo McCann's McOatmeal Mornflake Oatly Oatmeal Creme Pie Quaker Oats Ready Brek Uncle Tobys
Related	Avenanthramide Oat beta-glucan Oatmeal cookie (cocktail) Oat diseases Oat sensitivity Smith v Hughes
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