Red pudding is a Scottish meat dish that is sold as a snack in chip shops. Commercial varieties of these puddings are also available and are exported all over the world.
In Scotland, this pudding is served as an alternative to fish and chip meals. There are several varieties like black and white pudding that are also served in the same way in Scotland but the exact origin of the pudding is very vague. Traditionally, the pudding can be made from bacon, beef, pork suet, pork meats and powdered rusk. The red color of the pudding will also vary considerably depending on the wine that is added to the pudding recipe or the food grade coloring that is added to the commercial variety that is bought. A few varieties can also be light pink or white in color on the inside and have a thick red skin on the outside that has to be removed before cooking.
Red Pudding Recipe Overview
The dish is made by binding cooked bacon, pork meat, pork rind, beef, lard or suet, together with powdered rusks. Flavoring ingredients like cumin, beef stock, garlic, salt and pepper are added to the meat base. The red coloring is due to the port wine that is added to the meat mix but food grade coloring is also added to commercial meat base. The resulting meat mix is then shaped into sausage shaped rods that are approximately 15 cm long and 3.5 cm in diameter.
Serving Red Pudding
Most chip shops just dip the prepared meat into a batter of flour and then deep fry the sausage. This is then served with fries as a substitute to fish and chips.
Red Pudding Recipe Variations
This variety of pudding is only found in Scotland but there are different varieties of red colored puddings all over the world. For example, there is a Chinese pudding that is made of red beans and a Danish pudding that is made with red berries called Rodgrod. None of these varieties are the same as the Scottish variety even though the name is the same. Another variety of pudding is made in Scotland but it is served at breakfast. The pudding is made from pork and cooked in a ring and has a German origin.
Trivia
Red pudding is also called "Russians" in South Africa where the dish is served as a snack.