A few years ago, I received a care package from the mom of one of my close friends. Inside, there was a wooden stick that looked like a dowel. I immediately turned to Google and typed in something along the lines of “tall wooden kitchen cooking stick.” My search soon revealed that this “kitchen stick” was called a spurtle.
What Is a Spurtle?
Spurtles are a traditional Scottish cooking utensil primarily used for stirring porridge. There are two main types of spurtles. The one I received was an original Scottish spurtle—a slender, tapered wooden rod with a flat bottom. The top is carved into the shape of a thistle, which is the national flower of Scotland. Then there are flat spurtles. They are broader and flatter—almost like a cross between a wooden spoon and a spatula. Spurtles are simple but functional. They can be used for mixing, lifting, turning, scraping, and smashing.
They Are Still Used in Scotland
Spurtles have been a part of Scottish breakfast culture since they were invented in the 15th century, and they’re still a staple to this day. Every year in Scotland, the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Competition takes place. Contestants cook at least two pints of porridge and are judged based on factors like color, consistency, taste, and cleanliness during the cooking process. Each competitor has 30 minutes to prepare both a traditional and specialty porridge for the chance of being crowned World Porridge Making Champion and receiving the Golden Spurtle.
The Modern Spurtle Revolution
From 1968 to 1972, British cooking personality Graham Kerr hosted a popular television cooking show called The Galloping Gourmet. Kerr was a spurtle evangelist. However, the spurtle that Kerr popularized on his TV show was different from the classic Scottish spurtle. It looked like a wooden spoon-and-spatula hybrid. Kerr didn’t just use his spurtle for stirring porridge but put it to work in recipes like Rice Krispies treats. He even partnered with Kellogg, which offered free spurtles to customers as part of a promotion.
It wasn’t long before Americans adopted Graham’s version of the spurtle. Lucinda Scala Quinn, who spent over a decade as the executive food director for Martha Stewart Living, was an avid spurtle supporter. On Quinn’s Hallmark Channel TV show Mad Hungry, she regularly put the spotlight on spurtles for everything from mixing together tuna salad to stirring cake batter. Quinn even released a popular collection of spurtles, which are still available to this day.
What Can You Use a Spurtle For?
As Quinn said in one of the commercials for her spurtle, “think of the spurtle as 10 tools in 1.”
Unlike wooden spoons, spurtles are slender with flat, straight edges, which enable you to reach every crevice of a pan. Their slenderness helps to easily break up clumping—hence why spurtles are ideal for porridge or oatmeal, but also crushing whole canned tomatoes for tomato sauce. They have less surface area than a wooden spoon, so they are more nimble for stirring. You can use them for folding delicate desserts like mousse or bringing together Rice Krispies treats.
Spurtles are also very similar to turning sticks, a type of cooking utensil used in Nigeria and other African countries when making swallows, which are boiled starchy root vegetables that are pounded until they become soft and elastic, like fufu and pounded yam. This is my favorite way to use my spurtle, but I’m sure you’ll find your own.
FAQs
Is a spurtle better than a spoon?
Spurtles are not necessarily better than spoons, but many things a spoon can do it’s likely a spurtle can also do, and sometimes the spurtle does it better. For example, spurtles are better for stirring thick stews while cooking because they can reach the crevices of the pot and ensure that everything is thoroughly stirred together, though they’re not best for scooping and ladling food.
Are spurtles dishwasher-safe?
Like other wooden utensils, you don’t want to put spurtles in the dishwasher. The excessive heat and moisture in the dishwasher will cause the wood of your spurtle to split, crack, and potentially break.
Why We’re the Experts
- Nicole Rufus is a food writer, recipe developer, food stylist, and home cook.
- She has tested and developed hundreds of recipes.
- Spurtles have been part of her kitchen repertoire for three years now, and she has used them in a variety of ways.
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