What Is Figgy Pudding?

You’ve heard the tune. It might begin by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. Then, the demand commences. “Oh, we need figgy pudding!” …” and its insipid song, “We won’t go until we have something.” Do you really have a clue exactly what figgy pudding is? What is the reason people sing songs about it in the first place?

Figgy refers to “containing figs,” and pudding is described by definition as “a thick, soft dessert, typically containing flour or some other thickener, milk, eggs, a flavoring, and sweetener,” Figgy pudding isn’t just a simple mix of both ingredients. In some cases, it doesn’t contain figs at all. However, there’s nothing like a pudding about it.

It is the evolution of figgy pudding.

Based on the Taste of Home, figgy pudding has been around since around 1300 in Britain. It was also known as the plum pudding; however, you know what? There weren’t plums in it, either. Plum could be a term that was used to refer to any dried fruit of any kind, and there was some mixed in.

Figgy pudding was originally not an item of dessert, but it was a dish that was savory. It was made up of mutton and beef. Mutton, as well as prunes, raisins, along with wine and spices. There were times when people added grain to it, transforming it into a porridge-like food that they called frimenty. It changed through several iterations throughout the years, and at one point, it was stuffed into the stomachs of animals and their intestines, similar to sausages. Yum? Then, the plums became accessible, which led to the food taking on a delicious turn, changing into dessert.

The reason it became the topic of a song is that it’s believed to originate from a tradition where wealthy people would give treats to the Christmas carolers.

What was the reason why Figgy Pudding was prohibited?

It’s clear that Oliver Cromwell (who ruled Britain during the 1600s), as well as other Puritans, were not a fan of eating the Christian dessert. It wasn’t just that the figgy dessert was typically served at Christmas; however, the recipe that was originally made (according to certain people, but debated by others) contained 13 ingredients – one for Jesus and the remaining 12 ingredients for the 12 his disciples. In 1647, Cromwell was able to ban the desert, as well as the singing of carols as well as other Christmas customs. These customs were considered unclean and distorted the true significance of the holiday that Cromwell believed was best taken in silence.

Happily, around 50 years after King George I rescued the figgy pudding–earning the title “pudding king” in the process. The dessert was then again permitted.

The process of making this delicious dessert was not an easy task, however. It was in the 18th century that it took one month to attain its peak form. Families would gather during “Stir-Up Sunday” (the Sunday that was the day before Advent started) to begin the process. Every family member was able to stir the mix to ensure good luck for the upcoming year.

Figgy pudding today

It’s funny that throughout the times, figs were not ever used in the recipe. This is probably why the dish goes under a variety of different names, including plum porridge, Christmas pudding, and steam-cooked pudding. Whatever it’s called, folks continue to consume it every day. In Britain, particularly, figgy pudding remains a staple of Christmas.

The sweet pudding that we have today is more fruitcake than a fruitcake rather than a pudding. It’s made of sugar, flour, spices, fr, it, and. There are a variety of recipes available, with some containing liquor and figs and some not. Some people mix it with booze before lighting the flame.

All over all over the world, numerous other Christmas desserts originate from old-fashioned traditions. For instance, in Germany, they are so enthralled by the rule of Christmas Stollen (meaning “after Christ “) cake stuffed with raisins” – also known as Stollen for short) that everyone is inspected at the Stollen Association if it wants to carry the name Dresdner’s Christmas Stollen (Dresden is the name of the city in which it was born). If they approve, then it’s given an authentic seal and an identification number that helps track the bakery responsible for making the cake.

In Italy, the fruit-filled cake is known as panettone. Its recipe is from the 1400s, and according to one of the stories regarding its origins, it got its name because an untrained chef by the name of Toni was able to save the day. The cake originally intended was intended to be served during a Christmas Eve dinner for royalty was destroyed, and instead, they served the cake created by Toni. When a Duke inquired about what the cake’s name was, the cake was given to him as it was “Pan del Toni,” and the cake’s name changed from the beginning.

There are many others also; however, so far, there aren’t any songs about them.

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Feelin’ figgy?

Now that you’re full and hungry from having read about all the sweet desserts, we’ll leave with some knowledge that could be satisfying. Although it’s not often used nowadays, the word “fig” can be used as a verb to describe one’s attire or clothing, such as she was wearing a full fig the night before or a person’s health, I’m feeling in good figgy clothes today. Just in case you’d like to become more adventurous at this time of the year.