Despite The Name, Black Pudding Is Not A Dessert

If you've ever been out to eat at a restaurant serving a full English breakfast, you may have noticed a dish skeptically called black pudding on the menu. The food goes by assorted labels across Europe and parts of Asia and is typically enjoyed as part of a hearty breakfast. It could understandably be disregarded as a sweet chocolate mousse, given the name, but this contentious cultural delicacy not a dessert.

Black pudding is a sausage made with pig's blood, which is where is gets its dark color. Seasoned with onions, herbs, and spices, the mixture is stuffed into a casing and held together with oatmeal and barley. The unique fare triggers disgust in some folks offended by the concept, but others appreciate the savory and slightly sweet flavor, especially when paired with eggs, apples, or mushrooms.

The iron-rich sausage has been around for centuries. In medieval Europe, it was common for people to own a pig that would be slaughtered before winter, and they didn't let any part of the animal go to waste. The blood was mixed with fat, onions, and spices before being cased in an intestine and was a fundamental English dish for years until its popularity declined in the 1960s — possibly due to beans on toast gaining recognition as a breakfast staple. Today, black pudding is staging a comeback in traditional and contemporary British cuisine. It is also still popular across Europe, though it goes by differing monikers depending on where you order it.

Black pudding is still enjoyed today in the U.K. as part of a full English breakfast, but it has long been a mainstay of a full Irish breakfast as well. Called a drisheen in the Emerald Isle, the sausage is a primary component of a "fry up" – what locals in Ireland call a full Irish breakfast. It's a robust meal that includes eggs, bacon rashers, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, soda bread, and potatoes, along with the savory sausage.

The meat is sometimes referred to as blood sausage in English-speaking countries, but in other parts of Europe, it goes by several different names. Germans have an interpretation they call blutwurst, favored in Bavarian dishes. There's also a version called Zurgenwurst — a blutwurst with bits of pickled pork tongue inside. The French cook a redition dubbed boudin noir filled with cream and apple brandy for a lighter texture than traditional black pudding. In Spain, it's designated as morcilla, with rice, paprika, and occasionally almonds and raisins added to the mix. There, it is often served as a tapas dish.

Those curious about the rich cuisine in America may have trouble locating it. Though commonly sold in supermarkets and corner stores throughout the U.K., black pudding is a little harder to come by in the states. That said, there are some places you might be successful in acquiring the ingredient if you know where to look, besides finding a restaurant that serves a full English breakfast.

Black pudding may not be a staple ingredient in the U.S., but it can be spotted if one knows where to look. Occasionally, your local supermarket might have some behind the butcher's counter, but big-box grocers generally don't carry such niche ingredients. A better place to search is a local butcher or specialty meat store. International food markets will also likely have the sausage hiding out among other diverse ingredients you probably won't find at your usual grocery store.

If physical stores don't have any, it can be ordered online and delivered to your door. Jolly Posh Foods is a company based out of Chicago, Illinois, that delivers British pastries, cured bacon, and sausages to any state in the U.S., excluding Alaska. Its black pudding is fully cooked and shipped frozen, and it can go right into your freezer at home for up to six months if you're still building up your courage to try it out.

Once you have your hands on some, it's time to decide how to prepare it. Black pudding can be fried, grilled, baked, or boiled, depending on your preference. Pan frying is a prevailing method that only takes up to eight minutes. Heat a pan with a small amount of oil over medium heat, then fry the sausage for three to four minutes per side. After it cooks, give it a taste to see if maybe black pudding is a dish you've been sleeping on.