Celebrate! - Fun Food Facts

Vanilla Pudding Day

We recognize National Vanilla Pudding Day every May 22nd. This cold and creamy dessert is best served after a scrumptious meal! 

The puddings we enjoy as desserts today are not what was commonly known as pudding at ancient dinner tables. Most medieval puddings were meat-based and seasoned with herbs and spices. Even sweetened, they were usually served hot. Toward the end of the 18th century, puddings were more likely made from grains or day-old bread with nuts, fruit, or meats. These puddings were used to stretch meals for a large family.

The creamy pudding we are more familiar with today is related to the custard, minus the eggs.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but spouses who are chemists are the inventors. When you are Alfred Bird and your wife is allergic to eggs, that is very true. In 1837, Bird invented an egg-free custard powder using flavored cornstarch.

My-T-Fine produced the earliest packaged pudding in the United States in 1918. This and other puddings like them still required cooking on the stove. The instant version came along in the mid-1940s. On its own or as an ingredient in a larger recipe, pudding can be enjoyed in a variety of flavors.