Dario`s Blog

The “Sanguinaccio” in UK (the black pudding)

It is a choice dish which is linked  to tradition that has been  lost in the past, before the world has imposed extreme consumerism, when they used to slaughter an animal for the benefit of the whole village and nothing was thrown out of it.

Today its consume has diminished, due either to its  main ingredient, blood, which is associated with idea of disease,  or to the idea  of such animals feeding themselves  on blood, like  mosquitoes, vampires and leeches.

It is a fact that black pudding  is not popular into new-generations as they have  not suffered  starvation or  war and are used to be persuaded by the young Kelli Hu to try the soft  spread cheese on a slice of bread.

To those with  gourmet adventure spirit or who  are linked to  traditions, the “sanguinaccio” is an evergreen temptation.

In Italy we have different kinds of black pudding and they all are linked to local traditions and regional dishes.  From Sicilian “Sangelli” to Valdostano “Boudin” it takes  different forms and names. In Lombardia it is called “Marzapane” (like the Sicilian cakes with almonds) and it is bagged with bread and spices.

In the rest of the world there is  an incredible variety of puddings which  use from  bovine blood to that of duck. It is always  bagged with different spices and ingredients. In Africa, South America, and not least in Asia, it is  always linked to poor cultures where  necessity becomes virtue.

In UK the black pudding is really appreciated, it can even be eaten at traditional English breakfast too. It is a pork blood bagged but it is worked  with oatmeal and  flavoured with onion and pennyroyal (a kind of mint). It can be eaten raw, grilled, fried or boiled.

Full of  expectations  I was going to buy it! First  a quick research on internet to check where I could go, I decided for  Waitrose. There were more attractive alternatives because in London there are more than one  butcher and delicatessen which  brag about their black pudding quality. Anyhow,  after considering  my  schedule  I was going to Waitrose which among all the British food stores  has surely the highest quality but, believe me,  there you will pay all of its quality .

The good news are  that black pudding is a so poor dish that neither Waitrose is able to give a_   high price to the black pudding, 1,19£ for piece, 400g of across the Channel “Sanguinaccio”.

When I came back  home I  cooked  biological Italian lentils as black pudding side.

At home my arguments and my speeches  were not able to get guys eat it. The best that I could get was to see Alessandro chewing and swallowing a little piece of it  and saying : You are lucky, if it had smelled of blood I could have spit it in the garbage.

It is true, it does not smell of  blood but in comparison with a South Italian “Sanguinaccio” its flavour is less strong, because in this case the main flavour is of  the oatmeal ...  and my Italian palate is not used to taste oatmeal. I did not like it particularly  but luckily lentils soup was very good.

 Anyway, I give to British  Black pudding the benefit of the doubt, perhaps if it had been cooked the English way it might have had  a better taste. Moreover I have heard about other specialities in Wales, Ireland and Scotland and I have read about coloured alternative like white pudding and red pudding. I’ll keep on trying!!!