When is National Indian Pudding Day?
Monday November 13thA cold-weather classic is recognized on National Indian Pudding Day. Make this popular New England dessert that's sure to wow on November 13th each year.
English colonists brought hasty pudding to North America in the seventeenth century, transforming it. The colonists eventually used cornmeal because they started making the pudding with wheat due to a grain shortage. Since the colonists learned to cultivate maize (corn) from the indigenous peoples, the crop was readily available. The colonists derived the word for Indian pudding from their word for cornmeal – Indian meal. They also substituted the water with milk. The water was also replaced with milk. Cooks add either molasses or maple syrup for added flavor. Cinnamon, ground ginger, butter, eggs, raisins, and nuts are among the many items that were added.
The Indian pudding was then slowly baked for several hours. The pudding's texture is transformed from the original porridge-like texture of hasty pudding to a much smoother consistency that is more typical of custard.
- Most American cookbooks included a recipe for Indian pudding before 1900
