Figgy pudding

Christmas dish

Figgy puddingTypePuddingPlace of originUnited Kingdom Figgy pudding or fig pudding is any of many medieval Christmas dishes, usually sweet or savoury cakes containing honey, fruits and nuts. In later times, rum or other distilled alcohol was often added to enrich the fruitiness of the flavour.

[edit] Medieval cooking commonly employed figs in both sweet and savoury dishes. One such dish is fygey, in the 14th century cookbook The Forme of Cury.

Take Almaende blanched; grynde hem and drawe hem up with watr and wyne; quartr figs hole raisons. Cast þerto powdor gingr and hony clarified; seeþ it wel and salt it, and seve forth.

— The Forme of Cury recipe 118 Translation: Take blanched almonds, grind them, mix with water and wine, quartered figs, whole raisins. Add in powdered ginger, clarified honey, boil it well and salt it, and serve.

The Middle English name had several spellings, including ffygey, fygeye, fygee, figge, and figee. The latter is a 15th-century conflation with a French dish of fish and curds called figé, meaning "curdled" in Old French. But it too came to mean a "figgy" dish, involving cooked figs, boiled in wine or otherwise. A turn of the 15th century herbal has a recipe for figee:

Nym figes, & boille hem in wyn, & bray hem in a morter with lied bred; tempre hit vp with goud wyn / boille it / do therto good spicere, & hole resons / dresse hit / florisshe it a-boue with pomme-garnetes.

— Laudian Manuscript 553, Bodleian Library Translation: Take figs and boil them in wine, and pound them in a mortar with bread. Mix it up with good wine; boil it. Add good spices and whole raisins. Dress it; decorate it with pomegranate seeds on top.

Liber Cure Cocorum has the recipe under the name "fignade" on page 42. Richard Warner's Antiquitates Culinariae has it under the name "fyge to potage". Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management contains two different recipes for fig pudding that use suet, numbers 1275 and 1276.

[edit] Often associated with the original traditions of Christmas, it is referred to in the Christmas carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" in the lines "Now bring us some figgy pudding," "We all love our figgy pudding," and "We won't go until we get some!" Figgy pudding is not plum pudding, although it can be considered a precursor to it. It is not as rich, nor as complex in its recipe.

Figgy pudding survived the shift from medieval banquets to modern Christmas spreads because it hits every comfort‑food requirement in one bowl: dense, moist crumb, sweet spice and a burst of dried fruit. The fig adds a natural caramel depth that pairs beautifully with the buttery crust, while the added nuts give a satisfying crunch. Its ability to be made weeks ahead and reheated without losing texture makes it a practical make‑ahead dish for busy households. Moreover, its historic links to feasting and the tradition of "figgy" as a nod to abundance keep it culturally resonant, turning a centuries‑old recipe into a nostalgic staple rather than a novelty.

When sourcing figs, go for dried varieties that are plump and lightly sticky; they will rehydrate better and infuse the cake with richer sweetness. If you can, pick fresh figs in season and dry them yourself for a fresher flavour. For the dried fruit mix, balance raisins, sultanas and currants – too much of any one can overwhelm the palate. Look for unsalted, lightly roasted nuts; toasted almonds or walnuts add depth without making the pudding greasy. Finally, choose a good-quality dark rum or brandy for the soak – a small amount goes a long way, enhancing the fruit without drowning the subtle spices.

A classic serving trick is to steam the pudding in a water bath the night before Christmas, then refrigerate it. On the day, simply re‑steam for 20 minutes, allowing the flavours to mingle again. While still warm, tip it onto a platter and drizzle a generous spoonful of brandy butter or a thick custard – the heat melts the sauce, creating a glossy glaze. Pair it with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream for contrast, or slice it thinly for toast‑like bites with a dab of clotted cream. The key is to keep it moist; a quick brush of warmed milk before the final steam prevents the cake from drying out.