Can You Eat Black Pudding Raw?

Did you buy a package with black pudding and wonder if you should cook it before? Or if it is safe to eat it directly from the package? Let’s find out!

What Is a Black Pudding Made Of?

This product is made from fresh blood, but additional ingredients may vary by country, region, and manufacturer. You will find a lot of its variations in different countries. For example, in France, you will find it under the name of Boudin Noir. If you have a trip to Spain, then ask Morcilla.

Are you in Germany? Awesome! Ask for a big glass of beer and a portion of Bludwurst.

What do all of them have in common? All of them are made from blood, different aromatic herbs and spices, and cereals like barley or rusk.

Especially often for the preparation of such sausages, they use the blood of pigs, which has a particularly delicate taste, but sheep’s blood can also be used.

In the Odyssey, a sausage is prepared for the holiday from the blood of a goat in the intestines of this animal. To thicken the blood in the “black pudding” use oats, barley, diced fat, rice, pine nuts, chestnuts, almonds, cream, and combinations of these products; “black pudding” may also contain meat and offal.

Seasonings are added to the mixture according to the taste of the manufacturer, after which the intestines or synthetic casings are stuffed with it and stewed until tender.

“Black pudding” goes especially well with foods that have “autumn” flavors, such as apples and sweet root vegetables. It is good to use it as a seasoning ingredient that enhances the taste of meat dishes.

In short, so that such a valuable and high-calorie product as blood would not go to waste, they decided to give it (the product) the shape of a sausage, and add all sorts of different things to the minced meat: garlic, onion, cumin, salt, pepper, if not completely hide the taste of blood then reduce it to a barely noticeable aftertaste.

There is also white pudding, here the differences from black pudding are that no blood is added to white. The main component there is pork fat with meat, and the other ingredients are the same.

How to Store Black Pudding at Home?

As it contains blood, you should be very careful while storing the black pudding. As a general rule, store the black pudding in the fridge on a shelf that is above raw meat. This will avoid the risk of any leaks/drips from the raw meat to the black pudding.

Are Black Puddings Cooked?

Yes. Usually, black pudding comes pre-cooked before being packaged. They are safe to be eaten cold directly from the package.

Is Raw Black Pudding Good for You?

Black pudding very often is called a “superfood”. It is a good source of proteins, and minerals like iron, zinc, and potassium that are easily absorbed by our body.

Quick Note: As the black pudding is high in fat (about 8 grams per 100 grams) experts recommend eating the black pudding occasionally as you may start gaining weight from it.

If you’re looking for a healthier way to serve the black pudding, consider boiling or even grilling them and serving them near a fresh salad.

Does Black Pudding Have Blood?

Yes. Black Pudding is made from animal blood using different aromatic herbs, spices, and a few types of cereals.

Can You Get Food Poisoning if You Eat Black Pudding Raw?

Raw black pudding is a national dish in some countries. It is safe to consume it directly from the package. The likelihood of complications can only arise if a person has an individual intolerance to certain ingredients (for example, certain spices).

Another thing is that raw pudding is rarely consumed, usually, it is subjected to additional processing and inclusion in dishes with other products.

The thing is that its taste in its raw form may appeal to a much smaller number of people because it is made from animal blood.

What Is the Best Way to Eat Black Pudding?

Black pudding can be eaten raw. Whether you have cooked it yourself or bought it from some store or restaurant, you should put the pudding in the refrigerator.

Pull it out when you want to use it in combination with any dish or just eat it. Just cut it into small slices;
Most consumers say that black pudding is best eaten boiled or fried.

Here are a few ideas to consider while you are trying to eat black pudding:

Raw black pudding with onions and garlic. If you are ok with the strong blood taste, then you can start by trying the raw black pudding near some chopped onion or garlic cloves. A glass of red wine is perfect for this combo.

Black pudding with lamb. Want to go further? Try combining the black pudding with lamb. A beautiful and easy-to-prepare dish that can be served for dinner. You will need a boneless lamb filet. Cut the “black pudding” and gently spread it all over the meat.

Roll up the filet, tie it with twine and deliver it to the table. Alternatively, season with spices and roast at 350°F (180°C) for about one hour.

Black pudding meatballs. You can also make some delicious meatballs by mixing the Black pudding, boiled potatoes, leeks, mustard powder, and a little bit of white pepper. Serve these meatballs with a spinach salad, mustard dressing, and a pint of beer.

Black pudding and clams. Is one of the Modern classic combinations. You may find it in a lot of trendy restaurants that pair the black pudding with pale scallops.

Black pudding and liver. Fried “black pudding” with foie gras has been on the menu of The Star, a Yorkshire restaurant by Andrew Pern, for more than a decade. Foie gras sandwiched between two slices of “black pudding” with a piece of baked apple. Served with watercress salad, apples, and vanilla chutney. Pern even named his book, published in 2008, “Black pudding and foie gras” in honor of this popular combination.

Black pudding and rhubarb. As with apples, the pungent flavor of rhubarb can cut through even the rich taste of the black pudding. An example is the quick-to-make sour rhubarb chutney. Try this combination in a dish called marzipan, which is grilled morcilla in a bun.

Black pudding and eggs. This is a classic English combination. If you want to do something extravagant, you can make ravioli with black pudding and soft egg yolk, which should spread when you try to cut it. Serve this dish with sage-enriched butter.

Quick Note: For a more down-to-earth variation, you can make delicious dark Scotch eggs by mixing one part “black pudding” with two parts sausage mince.