What Is White Pudding And How Is It Used?

Pudding may be just another type of saying "dessert" in this part of the world, but it can mean something completely different in Ireland — where it is considered part of a savory meal.

MasterClass describes white pudding as an "oatmeal sausage," made by blending grains with animal fats and consumed in Scotland, Ireland, Canada, as well as parts of England. It is made with either oatmeal or barley; pork or beef suet; breadcrumbs; and spiced with white pepper or coriander. Everything is then stuffed into a sausage casing before it is boiled, then cooled. White pudding is either served whole or in slices that resemble coins.

While white puddings are consumed in four regions — each place has a different way of making them, per MasterClass. Scottish white pudding leaves out pork meat and incorporates onions or leeks; Irish white pudding can also be made with potato flour and have pork meat; Canadian white pudding — which is mostly found in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland — is predominantly made with oatmeal; while the English areas which make white pudding are known to make their own versions of this regional specialty.

Because they both are made with the purpose of using animal offal, you might consider white and black puddings to be the yin and yang of Irish sausages. The Real Lancashire Black Pudding Company says that whereas a black pudding is made with the blood of any animal including pig, ox, goose, duck, and venison, white pudding is not made with any blood at all, which helps keep the "ick" factor at bay for those who might be a bit squeamish about the idea of consuming animal blood.

Because white pudding can contain meat, The Scottish Butcher says white puddings can also compare with European white sausages, of which there are a few. For instance, the Germans have "weisswurst" or white sausage that has veal, eggs, and cream; while the French have "boudin blanc" which has pork, egg, bread crumbs, milk, and onions.

Wanderlust Marriage says Irish white puddings are usually served up as part of a full Irish breakfast, which can contain Irish bacon, local sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and potatoes. And if none can be found on American supermarket or butcher shelves, Epicurious offers up a white pudding recipe that's certainly worth a try.