4 Impressive Pudding World Records

It’s almost time to celebrate Christmas and what better way to do it than with the quintessential dessert forthe occasion – plum pudding! 
In the lead up to the big day (less than a week away now!) we thought we’d take a look at some world records related to puddings. Whether it is a record related to size, number of puddings consumed or the most expensive, we’ve looked into it. 

Here’s what we came up with.

The Largest

Image Source: www.foodtolove.com.au

Sticky date pudding is a favourite dessert to many people and the fact that it can be served hot or at room temperature makes it great for just about any occasion. But you might not love it quite as much as the good folks over at Farmhouse Fare, a pudding specialist (quite like Pud For all Seasons) based in Clitheroe in the United Kingdom. They were so taken with the desert that they baked the world’s largest sticky date pudding ever, weighing in at a massive 334kg. It contained almost 200 eggs and 90 odd kilograms of sugar, taking more than 10 hours to bake. The best part is they did it all for charity, donating the money raised to Macmillian Cancer Support.

Most Eaten

We don’t advocate gluttony by any means here at Pud, but we tip our hat at the effort of American Donald Cunningham of Florida, who wolfed down a massive 1.34 kg of pudding (sugar-free Jell-O chocolate flavoured, to be exact) in just 3 minutes. He completed the feat back in May 2010 and the record still stands strong.

Most Expensive

In past blog articles we’ve looked at some of the most expensive desserts in the world, however this case ‘takes the cake’ because it involves an actual pudding (couldn’t resist the pun)! Marc Guibert, the headchef at Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel in Windermere, England cooked up something special back in October 11 – namely a chocolate pudding valued at a lazy $34,440. The pricy pudding was baked with Belgian chocolate, orange and whiskey as well as having champagne caviar and diamonds in it as well. Guibert’s masterpiece stands as the most expensive pudding ever assembled (and given its lavish ingredients, we feel assembled is the correct term)!


Most Popular

You might not find this in the Guiness World Record book; however we can say from experience that the plum puddings or Christmas pudding is the most popular in the world by a significant stretch.

Easy to bake at home, and with a rich, traditional history and an association with the biggest holiday event in the Western world, the plum pudding is consumed by an estimated 40 million people on Christmas day in the UK. It’s also hugely popular in Australia too! 

To get your special plum pudding on this Christmas day, you can visit Pud for all Seasons and choose from a verity of flavors!

The History of Traditional Christmas Puddings

There’s something very special about Christmas time in Australia. Even though most of the rest of the world sees it as a winter event, we experience some of the warmest temperatures we have all year around in late December. 

Yet, we still embrace winter aspects and traditions of the holiday, even when its 30 plus degrees outside! We hang stockings on the fireplace and perhaps most importantly we enjoy warm Christmas pudding.

But this is exactly what makes Christmas so special; the traditions and the nostalgia that we all feel from years past. Looking toward the Christmas season, we’re excited to say that we’ll be working around the clock to get your Christmas puddings ready. For this month’s article, we thought we’d have a look at the history of this iconic desert.

Early versions of the pudding originate back to medieval England as early as the 15th century, where it was initially meat based. During this time, any surplus livestock were slaughtered in the autumn. The excess meat was placed into pastry cases with dried fruits to preserve it, and these large mince pies fed hundreds of people close to the end of the year. At later stages, this version of the pie was tweaked throughout the next 200 years. As people developed better ways of preserving food, meat and fruit-based versions of the pies began to go their separate ways, so to speak, and savoury and sweet versions of ‘plum pudding’ and ‘mince pie’ emerged.

The popularity of the Christmas pudding itself is believed to have come about due partly due to the King George’s infatuation with them. He insisted that plum pudding be served at the royal Christmas feast in 1714. Following this, the plum pudding become sweeter than ever, incorporating flour, fruits and sugar, at which point it becoming increasingly associated with Christmas. It wasn’t until the later that century that the desert became formally known as the Christmas pudding.     

           

Having such a rich history, the Christmas pudding has a number of traditions and customs associated with it. For one, children would often wish upon the mixture as it was being stirred in the cooking process. As well as this, coins would be added to the mixture and kept by the person who had them in their serving.

Our version of excellent old-fashioned traditional Christmas puddings have always been known for their ability to keep for a long period of time without going bad, making it all the more versatile a treat. This means that even if you don’t get to finish all your pudding on Christmas day, there’s plenty of time in the coming weeks (or even months!) to enjoy it.

Are We Healthier Than Past Generations?

At Pud for all Seasons, we’re obviously crazy about all things sweet. And we’re even crazier about sweet things that are good for your health! Our puddings are low in fat and we also supply gluten and dairy free varieties meaning they can be enjoyed by everyone in a healthy way.

With a greater emphasis being placed on living healthy lifestyles, people are seemingly more concerned about their diet than ever. The younger generations in particular are very conscious of eating healthy and exercising regularly.

Supplying gluten free plum puddings as healthy desserts ourselves, we started wondering just how healthy we are as a society. The fact is that sweet foods - like all things - need to be enjoyed in moderation. We always hear about rising levels of obesity, yet it seems like there’s just as many people living very healthy lifestyles. In this article, we have a look at how we compare to years gone past.

Interesting, much of our desire for fatty foods is derived from the conditions of our forefathers in the ‘hunter gatherer’ period. Obviously, fatty foods take longer to break down and so there was a clear advantage for people to eat them in times of shortage of food and famine. Our bodies encourage us to consume these foods even today, though because we are not going long periods without food, the effect is that we carry higher quantities of fat for longer, which is very unhealthy.

That said, the hunter gatherer diet was actually quite healthy when foods were available. It was made up of a good balance of fruits/vegies and animal based foods. In fact, it is estimated that people during this time consumed significantly more fibre, whereas today many people’s diets are made up of fatty foods, starch and lacking in fruit and vegetables.

Throughout the 20^th century, there were a number of technological and sociological changes that had an impact on people’s consumption. These included the development of vitamins and food chemicals, increasing numbers of women in the workforce and the effect multiculturalism had on people’s diet.

Ultimately, the statistics don’t lie - the average person today is almost 12kg heavier than the average person in 1950. Proper portion sizes seem to have a lot to do with this, as they are now four times the size. There is also significantly more variety nowadays. 

Fifty to sixty years ago, meals were very simple and largely based around meat and vegetables, as well as being high in animal fat and oils. While our meals are more varied in terms of the nutrients we get out of them, they are much greater in size and this is reflected in our higher levels of obesity.

Yet the proportion of people exercising continues to grow, particularly during the past decade. The stats indicate that the number of people exercising has risen by almost 20% since 2001. So why do we continue to put on more weight as a society? Some suggest that with increased physical activity we are consuming more and this is the contributing factor; others point out that exercise has less to do with weight loss than we think.

We’d like to hear what you think! Do we live healthier lifestyles in modern times? Do the statistics tell the whole story?                  

5 of The World’s Most Expensive Deserts

It is probably an overused cliche that you should save the best ‘till last, but when it comes to having desert at some of the world’s best restaurants, you might consider the cliche well founded. Unfortunately, these sweets do not always come cheap. Now obviously at Pud For All Seasons, we love our deserts, but after looking into some of the most expensive after meal delights, even we were shocked! Here are some of the memorable ones.

 1. Stilt Fisherman Indulgence

We starting out with the aptly named Stilt Fisherman Indulgence desert from the Sri Lankan luxury hotel The Fortress. Consisting of Italian Cassata, Irish Cream and gold leaf, a single serve has a price tag that you’re probably going to want to know about before digging in. At US$14,000, the desert depicts the ancient Sri Lankan tradition of Stilt fishing. It’s served with a mango and pomegranate compote, and features a chocolate sculpture of a stilt fisherman attached to a champagne sabayon enlighten, which overlooks an 80 carat aquamarine gem stone.

   2. Frozen Haute Chocolate

The stilt fisherman indulgence may seem a little out of everyone’s price range, but if you are a millionaire with a sweet tooth, there is an even more exclusive desert that you might prefer. The Frrrozen Haute Chocolate (no that’s not a typo) from the New York restaurant entitled Serendipity 3, may fit the bill. With its blend of 28 of the world’s most exclusive and expensive cocoa, this decadent delight is every chocolate lover’s indulgent dream. It’s served in a goblet, which is lined with 23 carat edible gold. With a staggering price tag of just over US$25,000 you may want to savour the taste a while.

    3. Three Twins Ice Cream Sundae

Being more of a once in a lifetime experience more than a simple desert, the Three Twins Ice Cream Sundae features ice cream made from glacial ice from the peaks of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Not to be outdone by other expensive deserts, the Three Twins Ice Cream Sundae costs US$60,000. However, this also included first class tickets and transfers to Kilimanjaro, as well as a guided climb to the peak of Kilimanjaro, accommodation and a five figure donation to a not-for-profit environmental organisation in Africa. Oh, and a Three Twins t-shirt! Not bad value there.

   4. Strawberries Arnaud

Now we are reaching the big league when it comes to luxury deserts. The Strawberries Arnaud takes its rightful place on this list being priced at just over US$1.4m. It offers a staggering level of exclusivity, and hopefully taste! Featuring strawberries that are soaked in vintage wines, the Strawberry Arnaud also comes with 79 Carats of white diamonds filling the bowl, a stunning 4.7 carat purple pink diamond and topping that off with an 18 Karat rose gold.

   5. Valentine Diamond Chocolate Cake

The world’s most expensive desert is more of a fine art creation than something you would eat, featuring over 2,000 diamonds placed around its decadent chocolaty exterior. The Valentine Diamond Chocolate Cake costs an astronomical US$5 million. The desert’s creator - a Japanese jeweller - expresses his love for the Africa by making the cake in the shape of the continent. This chocolaty delight is sure to please your palette, but may not please your bank manager.

It's Always Handy To Have Pudding in the Pantry!

As we’re sure you know, we’re big fans of cakes and puddings here at Pud For All Seasons. Suitable any time of the year, our puds can be enjoyed after a meal and also make a great snack if you’re feeling a bit peckish. Having a few puddings on hand is a great idea, as they’re popular with people of all ages. Read on to find out some of our favourite uses for them...

1. Whenever unexpected visitors drop in, you want to have a go-to snack that you can prepare quickly. Pop a pudding in the microwave for 3.5 minutes, and you’re set! Alternatively, you can serve slices of pudding cold, which are great with coffee.
2. Our puddings are healthy as well as being very tasty, so they’re always a hit with the younger ones. A slice of pudding can make a great snack at recess, so why not put a slice in the kids’ lunchbox?
3. If you’re out of ideas about what to buy someone, a pud can make a great gift for the person that has everything. A cute little pudding makes the perfect birthday or Christmas present, or just as a way to say thank you!
4. Possibly the greatest thing about pudding is that it can be served in so many ways. Here’s some of our favourite pud serving suggestions:

• Use it in a trifle with Custard and Portwine Jelly.

• Fry a slice in a little butter - very Scottish!

• Layer the cold pud in a sundae glass with icecream, cream and sauce. Yummo!

• Crumble the pud, roll it into balls and dip it in chocolate.

• Slice the cold pud into fingers and serve with a custard fondue.

• The little single serve puds make great Bon Boneire too!

For a full range of regular and special dietary puddings like gluten free, dairy free and vegan puddings, check out the Pud For All Seasons website. We can guarantee you won’t be disappointed by our homemade pud!