Puddings

Puddings are dishes in which a liquid is thickened and cooked by boiling, steaming, or baking. The term varies by region. In the United States, pudding most commonly refers to a sweet, custard-like dessert made with milk, sugar, and a thickener such as cornstarch, eggs, or gelatin. In the United Kingdom and much of the Commonwealth, pudding is a broader category that includes both sweet desserts and savory dishes prepared by steaming or boiling, often using a starch-, flour-, or suet-based batter or filling.

Sweet puddings encompass a range of textures and flavors, including rice pudding, bread pudding, tapioca pudding, and chocolate pudding, as well as baked custards and set desserts such as crème caramel. Savory puddings include steamed suet or flour puddings like steak and kidney pudding, and other meat- or vegetable-filled puddings such as black pudding (blood sausage) in some regions.

Common preparation methods are steaming, boiling, and baking. Traditional puddings rely on starches or eggs as thickeners, with milk, cream, or suet providing richness. Some modern variants use gelatin or other gelling agents to set a dish.

History and regional variation: puddings have medieval origins as boiled or steamed meat dishes; later, the spread of sugar and dairy contributed to the development of many sweet puddings. Today, puddings appear widely in menus and home cooking, reflecting local ingredients, practices, and cultural preferences.