Christmas Pudding

[campari]

Can anyone tell my why Christmas puddings are traditionally set alight?

[Hammer Head]

I think it is twofold. First for dramatic effect when the lights go dim and the cook parades the flaming pudding. Second, it is an easy way of making a tasty sauce for the pudding. Neat Brandy or rum would be too strong, so it is flamed to remove the alcohol and make it a bit tamer.

[vivandorron]

I don't know the answer, but I can tell you a true story about puddings being set alight.

My father was a Catering Officer in the R.A.F.during the second world war and whilst in Shillong,India, had the responsibillity one Christmas to oversee a Christmas Dinner for the officers in his Messroom.

He duly instructed the Indian 'servants' to pour Brandy, he supplied ,over the pudding and to set them alight prior to parading them into the Messroom on Silver Salvers.( Can you believe, there's a war going on.)

The puddings duly arrived but, when served, there was really something wrong; the dessert was really foul.

My father established that the kitchen staff had taken the view that " if 'Sahib' want puddings on fire", methylated spirits would do the trick and they could drink the brandy.

You may agree that Indians are very intelligent: excellent at mathematics,medicine, etc; and, whilst only a minority are Christians, they have a logical attitude towards Christmas.