What is Figgy Pudding? Food and Drinks From Our Favorite Christmas Songs

By | December 24, 2018

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Eggnog Christmas milk cocktail with cinnamon, served in two glasses on vintage tray with shortbread star shape sugar cookies, decor toys, fir branch over white wooden plank table. (Photo by: Natasha Breen/REDA&CO/UIG via Getty Images)

Food and drinks are an important part of our holiday celebrations. Every Christmas gathering, no matter how big or how small, includes a meal and beverages. Some of our all-time favorite Christmas songs are guilty of making us hungry by mentioning some tasty treats. Although some of these food and beverages mentioned in holiday songs are familiar to us, many are not.

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(npr.org)

What is Figgy Pudding?

When we sing the rollicking carol, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas,” we rather forcefully demand servings of figgy pudding, and even declare that we won’t leave until we are given some. But what is figgy pudding? Does anyone still eat it? Figgy pudding is a Victorian dish made, of course, with figs. We need to remember, however, that pudding in the United States and pudding in England are two very different things. We think of pudding as a mushy goo, but for the Brits, it is a bread or cake-like item. So figgy pudding is actually like a sweet cake with figs, molasses, and butter.