black pudding, is a fine accompiment to eggs over easy, and brown bread (hot from the oven)--it one of a few meal i eat that i actually think taste good with a cuppa, (and not breakfast coffee)

in times past, pigs (which need to be dipped in a vat of boiling water, in order to loosen the skin) were only slaughtered in winter months, because the meat tasted best, and 'cured' best if it was rapidly chilled after the 'blanching'--nature provide the cooling, not a refriderated slaughter house. it was 'hot work' to dress a pig, and best done in cool weather.

and hams (if they were only salt preserved, and not salted and cooked with low heat (smoking) need to be keep cool for a few weeks in order to be properly preserved.

most european 'ham' is cured, but not cooked. USDA requires hams to be cooked as well as salt cured.





my other obsession