Is Your Cereal Actually Soup?

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Introduction

Many people enjoy a bowl of cereal with milk to start their day off—it’s quick and easy. Some may argue about the order of the two ingredients (more on this later), while others pose a broader inquiry: what is cereal classified as?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of soup is “a liquid food especially with a meat, fish, or vegetable stock as a base and often containing pieces of solid food.” Cereal itself, in its most modern and common form, is made of processed grains served in a bowl of milk. Acknowledging that some may refer to cereal as only the grains themselves, this deep dive focuses on the combination of grains and milk. Plus, soup can be served warm or cold, as it is a liquid-based dish. With this in mind, wouldn’t cereal technically qualify to be categorized as a soup? After all, isn’t it really just pieces of cereal (solid) in milk (liquid)?

Well, before jumping to conclusions, let’s first discuss some of the similarities and differences between soup and cereal.

Differences:

Cooking Processes: Soup consists of ingredients that are cooked together and are meant to have their flavors integrated. However, cereal is typically served as a combination of prepared ingredients, with no intention of fully blending the flavors together (otherwise you would have completely soggy cereal).
Context: While soup is usually classified as a savory dish, cereal is classified as a sweetened or sugary-tasting food, mostly eaten during breakfast. Plus, cereal is usually viewed as a light and quick meal to start your day, while soup is mostly known as a full meal, depending on the contents.

Similarities:

Contents/Ingredients in Liquid: Both soup and cereal have liquid bases, often having contents floating at the top to be scooped up and enjoyed.
Variability: Both soup and cereal come in many varieties, offering a wide range of choices, with aisles upon aisles of different types.

Furthermore, the order of the two ingredients may also affect the consistency and classification. Remember, there is no judgment as to which one you prefer; it is entirely up to your own preferences. So, if you put your cereal before your milk, it can be assumed that you want your cereal to interact and soak in the milk as you scoop and eat it. However, if you put your milk before your cereal, it can be assumed that you want to preserve the crunch of the cereal and eat it separately rather than mixed together.

Let’s apply this to the soup debate. People who put their milk first and then the cereal are moving away from the definition of soup; however, people who put their cereal first and then the milk are closer to the consistency and definition of soup.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the decision of whether cereal is soup or not is entirely up to you. Whether you think cereal should be put in the same category as soup or not, this trivial matter raises the question: Are definitions rigid, and should one change or alter definitions in different contexts and time periods? What do you think? Lastly, what’s your opinion: Is cereal soup?