Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is a dish that is traditionally served in the United Kingdom, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries on Christmas Day. In contrast to German puddings originally is at the English court did not order a dessert. The former German name for this food is Pudding.

Christmas pudding is a boiled or steamed custard and contains, among other dried fruit (such as raisins ), nuts, and usually suet, the latter being sometimes replaced by vegetable fat. The dark-brown pudding is often soaked in brandy or other alcohol. In England, many families have their own recipes, which may also vary by region.

Traditionally, the Christmas pudding was boiled in a pudding cloth. At least since the beginning of the 20th century, however, it is mostly prepared in a pudding mold. The pudding is already prepared several weeks before Christmas. Before serving the pudding is cooked. Once the pudding is taken from the pudding form, usually doused with brandy and flambé at the table. The Christmas pudding is often eaten with brandy butter or custard.

History

The Christmas pudding was already known in 15th century England and is also known as plum pudding. Despite this name, the court did not initially plums; earlier raisins and other dried fruits were designated as plum, hence the name. The pudding was initially no special Christmas dinner. It goes back to a dish called Plum pottage, which consisted of shredded beef or mutton, onions and dried fruit, thickened with breadcrumbs and seasoned with spices and wine. The consistency was thick. It was not a dessert, but the first course of the meal. Since the 16th century raisins were added and you proceeded to omit the meat and replace it with fat. Plum pudding was a feast that was served on All Saints Day, Christmas and New Year. Around 1670 he was called Christmas pottage. A simple variant called Plum duff and was an everyday food.

At the time of Oliver Cromwell and the Puritanism of this pudding was one of the Christmas attributes that have been officially banned in England.

Today's version of the Christmas pudding is mostly originated in the 19th century. Usual ingredients are beef fat, sugar, syrup (black treacle from sugar cane ), raisins, bread crumbs, eggs, spices and alcohol, and sometimes even more flour, orange or lemon peel, grated carrots or apples and almonds. The consistency is pretty solid. After cooking the pudding for about a year is stable at storage 4-7 ° C.

Others

In addition, " Christmas pudding " one in the 1950s was influenced by the U.S. media, trivializing term for atomic explosion cloud ( mushroom clouds ) that look like the same flambé dishes.

Swell

• Alan Davidson: The Oxford Companion to Food. 2nd edition, edited by Tom Jaine. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2006, inter alia, ISBN 0-19-280681-5, p 185: Christmas pudding.