Black pudding – love it or hate it, it’s one of those breakfast staples that always seems to make its way onto the plate. But what actually is it?
Black pudding is a type of sausage, made with pigs blood normally. In Britain, we also tend to add grains such as oats and pearl barley to help firm the consistency of the sausage when cooled. The grains soak up the savoury juices which gives the sausage its ‘pudding’ texture. It’s a texture that you either really enjoy or really dislike, but it has a rich, velvety, savoury flavour that’s slightly sweet.
Most people like to have them with breakfast, but you can chop them up to add to mashed potato or a hotpot, or combine it with seafood, especially scallops or lobster. They’re even delicious as sausage rolls.
Why is it called black pudding?
It actually dates back as far as the 4th century, with the oldest recipe dating from the Romans. It first arrived in the UK via European monks, who called it ‘blutwurst’, meaning blood sausage. The name changed eventually to blood pudding before turning to ‘blak podyngs’ in the 15th century – black pudding. This means it could in fact be the oldest sausage around!
Is black pudding good for you?
There were some claims a few years ago that it was in fact a superfood, but unfortunately, it turns out that’s not the case. It is, however, a great source of protein. Due to the ingredients, it’s high in iron and zinc, and packed with potassium, calcium and magnesium. They can vary in fat and salt content depending on how they’re made, so aren’t necessarily bad for you.
So what is white pudding?
White pudding is very similar to black pudding, but it contains no blood. So if that’s the reason you aren’t a huge fan, perhaps white pudding is for you?
It instead relies on the grains, fat, breadcrumbs and spices for its flavour and texture, which is often lighter and creamier than black pudding.
How does black pudding come?
When we buy it in, it usually comes as one long sausage shape. You can buy them whole and cook them in boiling water, a bit like haggis. Keep the skin on and leave to simmer for 6-8 minutes. Don’t let the water completely boil or the skin will split. Then slice to serve.
Usually, people like to order it sliced. We slice them approximately 1.5cm thick, which you can then simply fry in a pan for 3-4 minutes on each side. You can also oven bake or air-fry them. Pop them in at 190 degrees for 6-8 minutes, turning once halfway through.
Black pudding isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a fan, we always get in award-winning black pudding from The Farmers Son based in Fife, Scotland. They use a 100 year old family recipe using only natural ingredients, winning awards last year in The Great Taste Awards and The Great British Food Awards, to name a few. They also create our favourite haggis and lorne sausage!
Pop in to the shop to pick up your black pudding today!