Typical English breakfast: Black Pudding

Bacon, fried eggs, beans ... There is no doubt that having a English breakfast it's a pretty powerful way to start the day. But one of its common ingredients is especially appealing to people who were not born in the UK or Ireland: Black pudding (Black pudding).

This sausage is made with dried pig blood to which a filling of oatmeal and barley is added. It is usually served cold, although there are those who eat it cooked, fried or grilled. It may not sound very appetizing at first, but it is considered a traditional dish at breakfasts within the english gastronomy.

Origin of Black Pudding

Strictly speaking, Black Pudding is actually the result of preparing the classic blood sausage In a different way.

During the slaughter of the pig, the best way to take advantage of the animal's blood without spoiling it is to keep it in the form of a pudding. Its origin in England dates back to the Middle Ages, as old cookbooks attest. At that time it was also prepared with sheep or cow blood, especially in Scotland.

However, Black Pudding as we know it today was born in the Lancashire region, northwest of England, in the mid-XNUMXth century.

La receta tradicional it dictates that fresh blood must be stirred for a long time while adding animal fat and other condiments (oatmeal, breadcrumbs, aromatic herbs, etc.). When the mixture is ready, it is introduced into a casing and boiled. Current producers of Black Pudding have replaced animal casings with synthetic cellulose skins.

This food of humble origins has come a long way to become an emblem of British gastronomy. Many gourmets consider it an authentic delicatessen.

Regional varieties

The popularity of Black Pudding in the British Isles has made this product an essential element in the classic breakfast, although it is also consumed in many other ways, accompanied by chicken or fresh fruits such as pears or apples.

There are also many varieties of Black Pudding that incorporate their own modifications. In fact, it is often said that Every butcher in the UK has their own recipe to prepare the black pudding. The differences are subtle and are based on the ratio between blood and filling, its texture and composition, as well as the combination of herbs that are added to the mixture as a condiment: pennyroyal, marjoram, thyme, mint ...

The Black Country

The regions of England and Scotland associated with this emblematic sausage are also known as Black country (black country), where local variants are numerous. Here are a couple of examples: in the city of Bury, near Manchester, it is served boiled in vinegar in paper cones; on the other hand, in the county of Yorkshire it is usual to flavor it with lemon and thyme, a herb that in these lands is also known as yerb-pudding.

Ireland: Drisheen and Sneem Black Pudding

At some point in the XNUMXth century the Black Pudding crossed the sea and reached Irish soil, where it quickly took root. In the emerald island there are two outstanding varieties: the drisheen cow blood and the Sneem Black Pudding, originally from County Kerry.

Somerset: BlackPot

But the most prominent regional variety is the one made in Somerset, south-west England. There the black pudding is prepared following the traditional recipe, except for one detail. This variety does not use the classic sausage casing to contain the mixture, but it is made in a clay pot. Thus, Black Pudding is served on a plate and is called Black pot (black pot).

Annual Black Pudding Throwing Championship

Such is the popularity of Black Pudding in the north of England that it even has its own festival in its honor: The World Black Pudding Throwing Championships. Nothing less than a competition in which participants use slingshots to throw the long black pudding sausages as far as possible.

Emulating the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge in the south of the country, in the north Lancashire and Yorkshire counties defend their honor in the town of ramsbottom. The championship began to be disputed in the mid-80s and has a marked playful nature.

It is celebrated every year in September, attracting thousands of onlookers from all over the country and not a few tourists from other countries.