Why black pudding is global grub

Americans often talk about their dislike of British food, and the conversation usually turns to black pudding. It seems that the blood sausage, which is made from congealed animal blood, fat, filler, and spices turns the stomachs of many Americans. Actually though, most of the Americans we see on TV making jokes about black pudding have probably never tasted it – it is exceedingly difficult to track down black pudding in the U.S., apart from for those who are able to make it at home themselves.

What Americans should know is that black pudding is not only a British favourite, but it is actually manufactured and enjoyed on a global scale, with everyone from those food-obsessed French to the Chinese enjoying its unique flavour. Below are just a few examples of black pudding being eaten around the world.

Chinese black pudding

We all love our Chinese food, but it is unlikely many of us will have come across black pudding in our local Chinese takeaway. However, the Chinese really do love their black pudding. They eat a dish which is widely known as ‘blood tofu’. It consists of pig or duck’s blood which is cut into tofu-like cubes and either fried or steamed before serving.

Vietnam

Vietnam is another of many Asian countries that produces its own version of black pudding. Doi tiet, or doi huyet, is a blood sausage very similar to British black pudding. It is usually made from pig’s blood which is mixed with pork fat and basil for a fragrant blood sausage.

Latin America

Morcilla is a Latin American version of black pudding and is usually made with fillers of rice and onions and seasoned with paprika and other hot spices. It is often barbecued or eaten in sandwiches in many of the Latin American countries.

European black pudding

Many of our European neighbours have their own version of black pudding too. Everywhere from France to Poland, variations of blood sausage are enjoyed by locals. Below are just a few examples of European black pudding recipes:

Germany

In Germany, we have the Blutwurst, which is made from the blood and fat of a pig and contains barley and spices., It is very similar in nature to British black pudding, but the Germans do like to shake things up a bit with their sausages and you can find many different variations on the blood sausage in the country, which is perhaps more famous for its sausages than any other.

France

The French are known for their cooking prowess, so if they like black pudding, how can anyone argue? In France, black pudding is sold in the form of boudin noir which is a black pudding filled with cream, onions and apple. It is typically served up with mashed potatoes.

Iceland

Blodmor is an Icelandic delicacy which is made from a mixture of lambs blood and suet. Traditionally, it is filled with oats and rye and stuffed into the stomach of a lamb. Many Icelanders prefer it to be eaten cold.