This article is about the common cereal. For other cultivated and wild species of the genus, see Avena. The wild ancestor of Avena sativa and the closely related minor crop, A. Genetic evidence how to make oat milk the ancestral forms of A.
Oats are best grown in temperate regions. They have a lower summer heat requirement and greater tolerance of rain than other cereals, such as wheat, rye, or barley, so they are particularly important in areas with cool, wet summers, such as Northwest Europe and even Iceland. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. In Scotland, a dish was made by soaking the husks from oats for a week, so the fine, floury part of the meal remained as sediment to be strained off, boiled, and eaten.
Oats are also widely used there as a thickener in soups, as barley or rice might be used in other countries. Oats are also commonly used as feed for horses when extra carbohydrates and the subsequent boost in energy are required. They may be given alone or as part of a blended food pellet. Winter oats may be grown as an off-season groundcover and ploughed under in the spring as a green fertilizer, or harvested in early summer. Oat straw is prized by cattle and horse producers as bedding, due to its soft, relatively dust-free, and absorbent nature. The straw can also be used for making corn dollies.
Tied in a muslin bag, oat straw was used to soften bath water. Oats are also occasionally used in several different drinks. In Britain, they are sometimes used for brewing beer. Oatmeal stout is one variety brewed using a percentage of oats for the wort. Oat extracts can also be used to soothe skin conditions, and are popular for their emollient properties in cosmetics. Oat grass has been used traditionally for medicinal purposes, including to help balance the menstrual cycle, treat dysmenorrhoea, and for osteoporosis and urinary tract infections.