Spotted dick
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding containing dried fruit (usually currants), commonly served with either custard or butter and brown sugar. Spotted refers to the dried fruit (which resemble spots) and Dick may be a contraction/corruption of the word pudding (from the last syllable) or possibly a corruption of the word dough.[1] Another explanation offered for the latter half of the name is that it comes from the German word for "thick," in reference to the thickened suet mixture. It is a cultural part of English Cuisine.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest documented reference is a recipe for "Plum Bolster or Spotted Dick," in Alexis Soyer's The Modern Housewife of Menagere (1850). [2]
[edit] References
- ^ What's the origin of "spotted dick"? – a 27 Aug 2002 Straight Dope article on the etymology of the name
- ^ OED Second Edition 1989; Spotted, a. and ppl. a.
[edit] External links
- Spotted Dick back on menu – a 10 Sept 2002 BBC article describing how the name was changed to Spotted Richard on Gloucestershire hospital menus, then changed back
