What can be the perfect way to end a perfect Christmas dinner? Why, with the good old-fashioned Christmas pudding, of course! Having originated in England, where it is often called a plum pudding, different households have concocted their own take on this must-have Christmas dessert.
The Christmas pudding is traditionally a rich and sumptuous steamed pudding.
It is a marriage of some of the most luxurious ingredients like sweet spices, dried fruits and nuts that give it its distinctive aroma and flavour.
Its very dark appearance is due its prolonged cooking time, and the exotic ingredients that go into its preparation, notably the dark sugars and black treacle.
The evolution of the Christmas pudding Although the Christmas pudding took its final shape as is now commonly seen during the Victorian era, it existed much before this time, albeit in a very different form.
Necessity used to force the people living in the 15th century to slaughter all livestock in the autumn due to a shortage of fodder.
There were no preservatives back then other than dried fruit and spices.
The skinned meat would be preserved in large pastry cases with these preservatives (giving rise to yet another Christmas delicacy, the mince pie) and was then used to feed all the guests who dropped in during Christmas.
However, if the true ancestor of the Christmas pudding were to be pinpointed, it would have to be the 'pottage', an ancient Roman culinary delicacy featuring meat and vegetables.
The ingredients were thrown in a large cauldron, cooked slowly for hours with the additions of dried fruits, sugar and spices.
The Christmas pudding can also trace its origins to a soupy gruel of the 14th century called 'frumenty'.
This was usually made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices added as well.
This was more of a meal consumed during the fasting in the run-up to the Christmas festivities.
The transition from savoury to sweet! During the Elizabethan era, prunes began to be added to this basic recipe.
Gradually, over time, the savoury elements began to slowly vanish from the concoction as the ratio of sweetness increased.
One of the simple reasons for this was the fact that technology had started introducing better ways of meat preservation.
By the late 16th century, 'frumenty' had changed considerably and had broadened its scope to include eggs, bread crumbs, beer and spirits.
The pottage and 'frumenty' also soon began to be known as 'plum pudding', a name that it is still identified by.
By 1650, it had become the traditional dessert at Christmas dinners.
Unfortunately, the Puritans banned the dish in 1664.
The plum pudding received a fresh lease of life when King George I made it a part of the Christmas meal again in 1714.
It was around the 1830s that the plum pudding began to be definitely associated with Christmas time and sprigs of holly used to be the final flourish used on the pudding.
Elizabeth Acton, a well-known English poet and cook who lived in that era, is credited with being the first to refer to this dessert as the' Christmas pudding' in her cookbook.
Christmas Pudding traditions In the early 19th century, Christmas pudding was a long-drawn out affair.
It was usually prepared weeks before Christmas to allow the flavours to seep and mature.
It still is, although modern technology has reduced cooking time drastically.
The pudding used to be wrapped in a special pudding cloth and steamed for hours.
It would then be served with any cream or hard sauce.
The final flourish was added by pouring brandy over it and setting it alight.
Stir-up Sunday Christmas pudding would almost be made on or immediately after the Sunday that preceded Advent - which was roughly four to five weeks before Christmas.
In the 16th century, the Collect for that Sunday in the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England reads: "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen" As a result, this day became known as 'Stir-up Sunday'.
It was mandatory for each member of the household, including children, to give the pudding mixture a stir, and made a wish while doing so.
A silver sixpence would also be thrown into the mixture, believing it to bring wealth to whoever found it in the coming year.
Christmas puddings have a surprisingly long shelf-life and many families have been known to keep one back to be eaten at Easter!
The Christmas pudding is traditionally a rich and sumptuous steamed pudding.
It is a marriage of some of the most luxurious ingredients like sweet spices, dried fruits and nuts that give it its distinctive aroma and flavour.
Its very dark appearance is due its prolonged cooking time, and the exotic ingredients that go into its preparation, notably the dark sugars and black treacle.
The evolution of the Christmas pudding Although the Christmas pudding took its final shape as is now commonly seen during the Victorian era, it existed much before this time, albeit in a very different form.
Necessity used to force the people living in the 15th century to slaughter all livestock in the autumn due to a shortage of fodder.
There were no preservatives back then other than dried fruit and spices.
The skinned meat would be preserved in large pastry cases with these preservatives (giving rise to yet another Christmas delicacy, the mince pie) and was then used to feed all the guests who dropped in during Christmas.
However, if the true ancestor of the Christmas pudding were to be pinpointed, it would have to be the 'pottage', an ancient Roman culinary delicacy featuring meat and vegetables.
The ingredients were thrown in a large cauldron, cooked slowly for hours with the additions of dried fruits, sugar and spices.
The Christmas pudding can also trace its origins to a soupy gruel of the 14th century called 'frumenty'.
This was usually made of beef and mutton with raisins, currants, prunes, wines and spices added as well.
This was more of a meal consumed during the fasting in the run-up to the Christmas festivities.
The transition from savoury to sweet! During the Elizabethan era, prunes began to be added to this basic recipe.
Gradually, over time, the savoury elements began to slowly vanish from the concoction as the ratio of sweetness increased.
One of the simple reasons for this was the fact that technology had started introducing better ways of meat preservation.
By the late 16th century, 'frumenty' had changed considerably and had broadened its scope to include eggs, bread crumbs, beer and spirits.
The pottage and 'frumenty' also soon began to be known as 'plum pudding', a name that it is still identified by.
By 1650, it had become the traditional dessert at Christmas dinners.
Unfortunately, the Puritans banned the dish in 1664.
The plum pudding received a fresh lease of life when King George I made it a part of the Christmas meal again in 1714.
It was around the 1830s that the plum pudding began to be definitely associated with Christmas time and sprigs of holly used to be the final flourish used on the pudding.
Elizabeth Acton, a well-known English poet and cook who lived in that era, is credited with being the first to refer to this dessert as the' Christmas pudding' in her cookbook.
Christmas Pudding traditions In the early 19th century, Christmas pudding was a long-drawn out affair.
It was usually prepared weeks before Christmas to allow the flavours to seep and mature.
It still is, although modern technology has reduced cooking time drastically.
The pudding used to be wrapped in a special pudding cloth and steamed for hours.
It would then be served with any cream or hard sauce.
The final flourish was added by pouring brandy over it and setting it alight.
Stir-up Sunday Christmas pudding would almost be made on or immediately after the Sunday that preceded Advent - which was roughly four to five weeks before Christmas.
In the 16th century, the Collect for that Sunday in the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England reads: "Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen" As a result, this day became known as 'Stir-up Sunday'.
It was mandatory for each member of the household, including children, to give the pudding mixture a stir, and made a wish while doing so.
A silver sixpence would also be thrown into the mixture, believing it to bring wealth to whoever found it in the coming year.
Christmas puddings have a surprisingly long shelf-life and many families have been known to keep one back to be eaten at Easter!