“The earliest records of Christmas pudding can be traced back to the 14th century. Back then, Christmas pudding was actually known as a unique porridge called frumenty. Frumenty was a thick wheat porridge typically made with beef, mutton, meat broth, eggs, currants, prunes, raisins, wines, and spices.
Some families would prefer it without meat on meatless religious days, which involved cooking it with milk rather than meat broth. Wheat would be boiled until it was tender and mixed with the other ingredients to thicken it into a savory, warm porridge perfect for a chilly Christmas Eve, or Christmas morning in some areas.
Over time, frumenty evolved closer and closer to the Christmas pudding we know and love today. Around the 16th century, the original recipe was taken and adjusted to be even thicker than before. Additional eggs, breadcrumbs, dried fruit, and spirits were incorporated into the dish to make it more like a thick pudding rather than a porridge.”
