British Pudding Day

Tracing its history back to the early 14th century, British pudding has evolved over time. The name likely started out as “poding”, which literally was an animal stomach filled with meat and boiled. And considering that at the time it was something sort of like a sausage, the term was somewhat fitting!

History of British Pudding Day

Developing into something that could either be savory or sweet, by the 17th century British puddings or “puds” were typically boiled in special bags that were just for making pudding. And by the 18th century, most puddings did not even include meat. These dishes were typically boiled but also started to be steamed as well. In modern times, however, puddings can also be baked, though this would not have been the traditional.

Today, the idea of pudding is almost exclusively related to desserts, unless preceded by a descriptor, such as “black pudding”, which is made from pig’s blood and may be included as part of a traditional English breakfast. Steak and kidney pudding is also savory, and is similar to a steak and kidney pie but the pastry is made from suet instead of being surrounded by a shortcrust pastry. Yorkshire pudding is another term for something that is savory, as sort of a roll or bread that is traditionally served with a roast dinner.

But, by far, sweet puddings are the most common. In fact, many restaurants have now simply taken to calling the sweet course that takes place at the end of the meal the “pudding”.

Sticky toffee pudding is a big favorite that consists of a sponge-like cake that is covered in a toffee sauce that is, well, sticky. Bread pudding, Christmas pudding and figgy pudding are some others.

British Pudding Day is here to celebrate all of the lovely deliciousness that goes along with the rich history that puddings carry.

How to Celebrate British Pudding Day

Have tons of fun enjoying British Pudding Day with some of these ideas:

Enjoy a British Pudding

With lots of different options when it comes to the term “pudding”, celebrate this day by enjoying a variety of different dishes that carry the name. Head to a restaurant and order a pudding off the menu, which could be something like a Victoria sponge, an apple crumble, a classic Swiss roll or an Eton mess.

Learn More About British Pudding

How about some bits of trivia to celebrate British Pudding Day?

• In 17th century England, special pudding bags were created to make boiling the food much easier.
• Christmas pudding is a special treat that is served in the UK and Ireland. Sometimes it is referred to as plum pudding or just “pud”.
• The largest Christmas pudding ever made weighed over 7200 pounds.
• Haggis is a Scottish savory pudding made of sheep’s innards.

Try Making a British Pudding

This could be loads of fun but also complicated, depending on which recipe is chosen and how traditional the methods are. For the most part, modern British pudding recipes can be fairly simple and enjoyable to make. But getting involved with an old fashioned recipe might just require a bit more time, attention and dedication!