Colonial relic or table treasure?

My first exposure to Christmas pudding – as an American living in Britain – was something of a shock.

I had expected figs or plums, as in the We Wish You a Merry Christmas carol, but there were none. Neither did it resemble the cold custard-style dessert Americans typically call pudding.

Instead, I was greeted with a boiled mass of suet – a raw, hard animal fat often replaced with a vegetarian alternative – as well as flour and dried fruits that is often soaked in alcohol and set alight.