most black pudding that you can buy in regular shops and supermarkets here is utterly repulsive. I know of one place on merseyside that makes its own, however (i'm led to believe that there are a few places in yorkshire and cumbria that also do), and that's a different story altogether. if it has a plastic skin on it, do not touch it with a bargepole. the real deal is kind of sweet, quite fragrant, not gooey and nasty, but crumbly and full of barley, with just enough lumps of pork fat fat to moisten it. it should also come in little sausages, not the walloping great pornographic jumbo intruder versions you often see. it's extraordinarily good with mashed potatoes with braised leeks stirred into them, red cabbage with apples and a cider gravy. british breakfasts i always find good in theory, but i made myself one this morning, just because i had the time and was working from home, and, as usual, it was a much better idea than a reality. i threw most of it away, so i've had to resign myself to the fact that i actually prefer maybe two or three components - eggs, bacon and toast, sausages and tomatoes etc - rather than the whole lot in one go. fried bread i absolutely cannot stomach any more, though i used to love it as a kid. and just as a side issue, why would anyone order tea in europe and expect it to be anything other than disgusting?
