Kylie Burke '27

You wake up in the morning, craving that sugary sweetness, so you get out of bed, walk to the kitchen, and grab a bowl. But did you know that the sugary, sweet treat that you crave in the morning is actually a type of soup? Now you may not believe me, but it's true, and I'll prove it to you! In my AP LANG class, this was a topic to practice our argumentative skills in which you were to do in a group. While half my group disagreed, the other half agreed. I was one who agreed with the statement, “Cereal is a soup.” Since we never actually wrote anything about it, but rather argued, I decided that an article would be the best way to share my thoughts on why cereal is a soup with the world.

First, we need to understand what soup and cereal actually are. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, soup is “a liquid food especially with a meat, fish, or vegetable stock as a base and often containing pieces of solid food.” Now you might say that I’ve already proved myself wrong since it says meat, fish, or vegetable stock, but that isn’t always the case. A bowl of cereal is a liquid food base containing pieces of solid food. Right there, we already have a statement that can justify that cereal is a soup, but for some, that is not enough. Caroline Cortez ‘27, a friend of mine, explained why she believes cereal is not soup. She says, “For one, soup is traditionally made with a broth or roux and includes savory ingredients and spices. It requires lots of preparation and is normally cooked on a stovetop.” While she is right that soup is typically made with savory ingredients and cooked on a stovetop, this isn’t always the case. In many countries, Julia Clement ‘27 explains how “There are also many dessert soups, so both cereal and soup could be sweet. It is all down to your culture and how you decide to eat it.”. In China, after meals, many restaurants and homes serve soup for dessert. Taro Sago is a lightly sweet soup made with water, coconut milk, vanilla extract, taro, and a few other ingredients. It is served hot, but it's a sweet dish. Also, soups are sometimes served cold. Gazpacho is a famous tomato soup that originated in Spain and is typically served cold. 

While all of this so far has been about the makeup and preparation of the food itself, some claim that it’s the category itself that distinguishes cereal from soup. Mackenzie Stanga ‘27 claims that “cereal is not a soup because it is not found on the soup aisle, nor is it a soup that can be ordered at any restaurant.” Mackenzie is correct that cereal cannot be ordered at any typical restaurant, but even though it’s not found on the soup aisle, that's the case for many other items as well. In Walmart, you can find coffee with the condiments, peanut butter, and salad dressing. Does that mean that coffee is a type of sauce or dressing? No, it just simply isn’t on the aisle with its companions: drinks or breakfast. One last thing to note is what you eat cereal with. The typical person eats cereal with a soup spoon. It’s even noted that at “...Caf, whether or not they realize it, support it unequivocally. Next time you visit it, look at the spoons placed next to the cereal station. They will be soup spoons.” (Terry and Leonard)

Overall, it’s very clear that this topic will never be scientifically proven, so it will forever be up for debate. Between the preparation, location, or flavor palate, cereal can be considered soup in many ways. Whether you believe me or not, I will stand by my belief that cereal is a soup. I also fully believe that oatmeal and grits are a type of soup, too!