HOW-TO
Figgy Pudding, Anyone?
By Kathy Andrews
If you’ve ever listened to the lyrics of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” you may have been curious about something. The second verse references the strong demand for a holiday treat called “figgy pudding.” In fact, the lyrics say, “We won’t go until we get some.”
So, what exactly is figgy pudding, and what keeps people wanting it enough that they have been singing about it for more than 100 years?
I had to know, so I made a batch. If you’d like to make one, too, you can learn how at www.tomsaaristo.com/figgy_pudding.html. If you want to know how to eat figgy pudding, just check out the embedded video of Kevin from our office!
As I was looking for the perfect recipe, I discovered the following interesting tidbits of knowledge that you can use to dazzle your friends when figgy pudding comes up in conversation this holiday season (as it undoubtedly will):
- The “figgy” part is, of course, because of the inclusion of figs in the mixture, but, in this case, “pudding” actually refers to a moist cake (rather than the dessert mixes pitched by Bill Cosby in the 80s). So in reality, figgy pudding is a moist cake that contains figs, dates, raisins, lots of spices and a hint of rum or brandy.
- A true figgy pudding is steam-baked slowly for several hours and contains a form of fat called “suet,” which is the fat found near animal kidneys (yum!) and contains lots of additional calories. With today’s busy schedules and health concerns, we’re no longer steaming the pudding for hours or harvesting suet. Instead, we can bake the figgy pudding in an oven and use butter or margarine.
- Figgy pudding can trace its ancestry back to a spiced porridge known as “frumenty” in medieval times.
- Likely introduced sometime in the 1400s, it took more than 400 years for figgy pudding to reach the peak of its popularity during the Victorian-era in England.
Enjoy!