Batter royale: why Brits and Americans will never agree on yorkshire pudding (2024)

FAQs

What is the American equivalent of Yorkshire pudding? ›

History. The popover is an American version of Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century, The oldest known reference to popovers dates to 1850. The first cookbook to print a recipe for popovers was in 1876.

The original serving of the Yorkshire pudding was as an appetiser to a main meal, usually with gravy. This was because it would fill you up, meaning you wouldn't eat as much meat, which was expensive. It was originally cooked in northern England over a fire with the meat roasting above it.

Yorkshire puddings are similar to Dutch baby pancakes, and to popovers, an American light roll made from an egg batter.

And it would appear it is just as popular over in the US, especially around Thanksgiving. But instead of proudly sporting God's own country in its name, the Yanks call them 'popovers' - getting its name from the “dramatic rise” caused by the steam.

American puddings are closer to what the Brits would call "custard." A British pudding is a dish, savory or sweet, that's cooked by being boiled or steamed in something: a dish, a piece of cloth, or even animal intestine.

Let's get the cold, hard facts out of the way: the US does not have yorkshire pudding. Grocery stores don't stock Aunt Bessie's between the frozen peas, ice cream and mozzarella sticks. Home goods stores don't carry tins to make yorkshire pudding in alongside cake molds and pie pans.

Yorkshire Puddings are a staple in England with a Roast Dinner. Here in the US we know them as Popovers which are the same thing as the modern Yorkshire Pudding, except using a different pan. Yorkshire puddings are a delicious way to have a bread with your dinner with a minimal time investment.

For starters, American puddings are closely linked to something called a custard in the U.K. British puddings can be a sweet or savory dish, typically prepared by boiling or steaming in a cloth or a dish. The earliest puddings were sausages called black puddings, made with pig's blood and steamed in animal intestines.

Yorkshire pudding batter has just three ingredients – milk, eggs and flour – but the addition of water can make the finished result puffy and light. The fat content of the milk and eggs brings richness, but it's the water that helps them crisp up.

The pudding would have originally been cooked beneath the meat (usually beef) as it was roasting on a spit above a fire. This position would have meant that the fats and juices from the meat could drip onto the batter pudding, flavouring and adding colour.

Is Yorkshire pudding fattening? ›

Traditional trimmings like Yorkshire puddings, bread sauce and stuffing add to the salt, fat and calories in your meal, so go easy on these or skip them altogether. Making your own helps reduce fat and salt.

Nonetheless, for approximately a decade, these soft and spongey rolls were known as dripping puddings. However, in 1747, Hannah Glasse referred to them as "Yorkshire puddings" and the name has stuck ever since.

Yorkshire puddings and popovers are a pair of side dishes that share many similarities. But for the discerning baker, there are some subtle differences between the two.

What's the difference between American pudding and English pudding? The British use the word pudding to mean several different things—some savory, some sweet, and they call any sweet meal-ending food a pudding. In the US, pudding typically refers to one very specific and simple dessert (meal-ending sweet.)

That's right, Yorkshire pudding mix and pancake mix are the exact same thing. Yorkshire pudding batter ALSO requires plain flour, eggs, milk and sunflower or vegetable oil. The only difference is the way you cook it. Yorkshire pudding batter is just pancake mix cooked in the oven.