Happy National Rice Pudding Day!

There are so many fancy dishes out there. And so many wonderfully fresh ingredients. And they all have their day. But rice pudding is one of those unsung heroes of childhood that somehow still strikes a chord – and it’s global as well. As CNN’s Eatocracy writes,

“A few humble ingredients – milk, rice and sugar – is all it takes to make this creamy, comforting dessert. From there, you can spice it up however you please, whether with vanilla and apricots or rum, raisins and nutmeg. When “this porridge is just right,” it’s neither gummy nor soupy.

If you think this concoction is absolutely divine, you certainly aren’t alone: In Dutch and Flemish folklore, heaven is described as a place where you can dig into a never-ending supply of rice pudding – with golden spoons, no less.

And on Christmas Eve in Sweden, children put out rice pudding (Risgrynsgröt) for Jultomte, the Swedish equivalent of Santa Claus.”

So today let’s celebrate the unglamorous, the unpretentious, and the unfashionable foods that have earned a place in our hearts. Of course, we’d be amiss if we didn’t contribute a link to some of the wonderful online recipes available for rice pudding that you can find in the EYB library. Although, as you will see, even the prosaic rice pudding has evolved into some rather exotic sounding concoctions (Strawberry jam coconut rice pudding, anyone?). Enjoy!