the whole oat
Willa’s Oat M!lk
Willa’s is a beverage company making oat milk using the whole oat. Its recipe is an ode to its founders’ grandmother, who – Christina and Elena – fondly remember for this very milk. Before trying this brand, I didn’t give much attention to the whole or parts of an oat being used in my oat milk beverages. Thanks to their branding and messaging, my curiosity peaked about haaving the boxes in my kitchen and tasting the usage of the whole oat. I ordered their recently added combo of Barista (Creamy) and Original. Here’s my take on the alternative beverage. that for many with food sensitives like me, having an option to oat is refreshing.
Over the past week, I’ve tried Willa’s Oat Milk at temperatures steamed and still, with ice, without ice and chilled. I’ve had it over cereal, in oatmeal, in coffee, in tea and with matcha.
Across each temperature and food or beverage product, Willa’s provided varied aesthetic experiences, even though the product was either creamy or original. I discovered that I prefer the original over the creamy. I definitely taste more of the oats’ components in this brand: which I perceive to be heartier and a more rounded mouthfeel that lingers whether in tea, matcha or coffee.
Further, in this oat application, after the oats announce themselves, I feel the grain definitely likes to hang out a little longer, it doesn’t want to leave. I can’t blame it, I put it in good company. Yet, sometimes I found myself wanting it to wave bye-bye when its presence was more pronounced than the object paired with. There’s more weight to the creamy edition, as in, the attributes of the oat are acute when chilled, or even in a simple item like Oat Cheerios to a straightforward coffee dominated by singular flavor notes like chocolate or dark berries which I tried.
I admit that one week is a small increment of time to measure a substance that can be used across a variety of uses, but, I can say that there’s room on the shelf to have this as part of my rotation alongside my staples given its heritage, nutrition and sustainability. And, that’s the whole oat of it.