What’s the Difference Between Black and White Pudding?

Bringing an Emerald Isle Classic to Your Kitchen Table

If you’ve ever indulged (or let’s be honest: overindulged) in a hearty Irish breakfast, you’ve likely seen two types of pudding. And no, we’re not talking about chocolate and vanilla, we’re talking about black and white. These savory patties, often served side-by-side, may appear similar to the untrained eye. Both are staples of Irish cuisine, but what exactly sets these puddings apart?

Well, friends, you’ve come to the right place.

Savory Black Pudding, Steeped in Tradition

Rooted in tradition, black pudding has been a nutritious, filling staple in Irish kitchens for generations. Despite its name, black pudding is not a dessert. It’s a type of blood sausage made from pork blood, oats or barley, and traditional spices. What spices? While we can’t give away our secret recipe, entrusted to Tommy Moloney’s by a butcher from County Limerick, cumin, sage, and pepper are in most traditional recipes.

All of the ingredients are mixed and stuffed into a slightly spicy, herby sausage. When cooked, it’s slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with an earthy flavor that holds its own on a full plate of breakfast classics like eggs and bacon.

In the early days, every part of the animal was used, including the blood. That’s what makes black pudding such a practical, highly nutritious, and delicious symbol of Irish resilience and creativity.

Mild White Pudding, Packed with Flavor

White pudding includes all the same ingredients as black pudding, pork, oatmeal or barley, fat, and spices, but without the blood. A simple ingredient changes both the taste and color of the patty.

White pudding is lighter in flavor and better for someone with a more subtle palate. It’s perfect for those who want a traditional taste of Ireland without the intense, rich notes of blood sausage. If you’re discovering Irish food for the first time, white sausage may be a more comfortable place to start.

A Breakfast Known Around the World

In Irish culture, pudding recipes are passed down from generation to generation, served in rustic home kitchens and pubs. Puddings are often served in tubes or rings, and then sliced by the chef into thin disc-shaped patties to crisp up in a hot pan. Our puddings celebrate a part of what makes an Irish traditional Irish breakfast so iconic.

Whether you grew up with fried black and white pudding piled together on Sunday morning or you’re easing into puddings with a comfortable, bloodless white pudding, you’re tasting a piece of history.

Which Pudding Should I Have for Breakfast?

If you’re still unsure which to try, think of puddings like this:

Choose the black pudding if you love bold, hearty flavors and want the whole traditional experience. Or if you need a strong dose of iron!
Choose the white pudding if you prefer something milder but still packed with authentic flavor.

Either way you go, you can’t go wrong. Black and white pudding are made without generational recipes, and shipped across the U.S. for an authentic taste of home.