black pudding is made from pork blood, with pork fat or beef suet, and a cereal, usually oatmeal, oat groats or barley groats. The high proportion of cereal, along with the use of certain herbs such as pennyroyal, serves to distinguish black pudding from blood sausages eaten in other parts of the world.



Black pudding is not a pudding, but a sausage made from pigs' blood, onions, herbs, spices, and bound with oatmeal or barley. When well-made, the flavor will be mild and slightly sweet despite the spices; it is the combination of all the ingredients (including the blood) which creates its unique flavor. 

Serving Suggestions

Black pudding is usually sliced and fried when served at breakfast, but often the pudding is also crumbled and included in other dishes such as mashed potatoes, bubble and squeak, and gravy. Introducing the pudding to other foods enriches the dish and adds flavor.

History and Legacy

Black pudding is no new-fangled ingredient; it has been around forever. The pudding was produced as a way of using up the blood for the slaughter of the pig at a time when nothing was ever wasted. It has survived down the centuries and fell out of favor in the 1960s but black pudding is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity with chefs in Britain. It can appear on menus in both traditional and contemporary restaurants.

Black pudding is not only made in Britain and Ireland. Many European and Scandinavian countries make their own versions of the pudding. Some use different spices but essentially the method is very much the same.