What is Irish Pudding? Ireland’s Famous Sausage

What is Irish pudding? It’s probably not what you imagine of pudding! There are two types of pudding commonly found in Ireland – white and black pudding. Like many people, we typically prefer white pudding over black pudding. But some people LOVE black pudding. Here is a breakdown of ingredients in both “puddings.”

White Pudding

White pudding is a sausage typically made with oatmeal or barley, breadcrumbs, spices, pork fat and pork liver. The ingredients are combined into a cellulose or sausage casing. We prefer the Clonakilty brand over anything else we’ve tried. Their white pudding is particularly peppery in flavour, which we really enjoy. White pudding is similar to black pudding, but does not include any blood.

what is Irish pudding
A package of Clonakilty Irish white pudding.

Black Pudding

Black pudding is also not a sweet pudding. It is a sausage made from oatmeal or barley, pigs blood, onion, spices and herbs. The combination of all the ingredients (including the blood) creates a unique flavor. Good black puddings should have a mild and slightly sweet flavor. Black pudding is rich in iron thanks to the blood.

Is Irish Pudding Worth Trying?

We realize that for many, the idea of food made with blood is probably not so appetizing. It took Bell a good 6 months of living in Ireland to come around to trying it, but really it doesn’t taste like blood. The difference between white and black pudding is to us, primarily texture. White pudding has a more oatmeal like texture, while the black is softer, and has a saltier taste to it.

Clonakilty black and white Irish pudding on grocery store shelf.
Clonakilty black and white Irish pudding on the grocery store shelf.

Full Irish Breakfast (Fry Up)

White and black Irish pudding are commonly served as part of a full Irish breakfast. Irish breakfasts are often called fry ups on menus. Full Irish breakfasts include:

Irish bacon or rashers
Irish local Sausages
Black and White Pudding
Baked Beans
Eggs
Mushrooms
Tomatoes halved
Potatoes

Cooking Irish Pudding at Home

We have actually taken such a liking to white pudding that we fry it up every weekend as part of a big breakfast. When we have guests visiting from overseas, we include both black and white pudding. We don’t tell friends and family they’re eating blood pudding so shhh!

what is Irish pudding

Great Places to Find Irish Pudding and Other Great Products

Irish pudding and battered sausages at the English Market in Cork
Irish pudding and battered sausages at the English Market in Cork.

Hearty and delicious breakfasts are one of the highlights of a visit to Ireland. Traditional bed and breakfasts are a great place to enjoy them. Markets are another good place outside the typical restaurant scene.

The English Market in Cork is the best market in Ireland. It’s a great place to try Irish pudding either already prepared, or to cook at home.

The Limerick Milk Market is a great place for breakfast. One of the oldest markets in Ireland is made up of 50 stalls and 21 shops.

Dublin Bed and Breakfasts That Serve Puddings with Great Irish Breakfasts

Kilronan House is a family run, award winning B&B in Dublin’s lovely Georgian Quarter. Grafton Street (Dublin’s main shopping street) and St. Stephen’s Green are a just 5 minute walk away. They offer free parking too – you don’t need a car in Dublin though! Some of their rooms are a little dated but their Irish breakfasts in their beautiful dining room are fantastic! We enjoyed our stay at Kilronan House when we recently re-visited Ireland.

Egans House is another quintessential Irish bed and breakfast in the north of Dublin. Rooms offer reasonable comfort for travelers that don’t want to spend a fortune to sleep. We enjoyed our stay at Egans House when we first visited Ireland – before we lived there.

More on Ireland

Landscape of the Cliffs of Moher with the ocean, Ireland travel tips
The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland

Planning a trip to Ireland? Read our article on How to Spend a Week in Ireland. We give firsthand tips on the best places to visit, stay and eat so you get the best from your visit to the Emerald Island! You should also check out our Ireland travel tips article packed with advice on best times to visit, customs, packing, money, things to avoid and more!

Have questions about planning your trip to Ireland? Email me at [email protected] or leave a comment below and we can assist you!

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Author

  • Alex&Bell

    Alex and Bell originally met while solo traveling after finishing university in 2002, in Brugge, Belgium. Alex grew up in the USA and Bell hails from Australia. During our nearly 20 year marriage we've lived around the world, including spending six years living in the Netherlands and Ireland. We have traveled to nearly 70 countries and enjoy giving readers authentic and quality travel tips. Alex is an award winning travel journalist and travel planner, who also freelances for other outlets. Bell is an award winning PhD scientist who currently works for a non-profit lung cancer advocacy research organization called Lungevity. Happy travels and if you have any questions leave a comment or drop an email!

4 thoughts on “What is Irish Pudding? Ireland’s Famous Sausage

    1. If you find it in the US, please let us know where, the brand and tell us what you think. I wonder if it is served in any Irish pubs in Orlando. We never made it over to one this year, haha…

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