A beloved Bajan Saturday tradition — pickled pork with sweet potato pudding in a bright lime and herb brine.
Pudding and Souse is one of Barbados's most iconic street foods, sold every Saturday from small stands across the island. The 'souse' is thinly sliced pickled pork — typically head meat, trotters, or shoulder — cured in a refreshing brine of lime juice, cucumber, onion, and fresh herbs. The 'pudding' is a steamed sweet potato sausage, subtly sweet and warming. Together they are a study in contrasts and one of the Caribbean's most distinctive taste experiences.
Serves 6
Boil pork pieces in well-salted water with a bay leaf for 60–75 minutes until very tender. Drain and cool, then slice thinly.
Combine lime juice, cucumber, onion, herbs, salt and a pinch of scotch bonnet pepper. Toss sliced pork into brine and marinate at least 30 minutes.
Season grated sweet potato with salt, pepper, chives, and a little butter. Stuff tightly into a cleaned sausage casing or foil roll.
Steam pudding roll over boiling water for 45 minutes until firm and cooked through. Slice into rounds.
Plate sliced pudding rounds alongside pickled souse. Spoon extra brine over the pork.
The longer the pork soaks in brine, the more flavour it develops.
Refrigerating overnight dramatically improves the souse.
Use sweet potato variety with deep orange flesh for the best pudding colour.
Taste and adjust salt at the very end — flavors concentrate as liquids reduce, and a final pinch of flaky salt sharpens the whole dish.
Vegetarian souse with jackfruit.
Add green mango to the brine for extra tartness.
Skip the casing and steam pudding in banana leaf for extra aroma.
Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.
Souse keeps refrigerated in brine up to 3 days. Pudding keeps 2 days wrapped; reheat by steaming.
Pudding and Souse has roots in the 'nose to tail' cooking practices of enslaved Africans in Barbados who turned offcuts and less prized pork cuts into a celebration dish. The Saturday tradition has endured for centuries.
Shoulder is easiest to source and works beautifully in the brine.
It adds authentic heat but can be reduced or omitted to taste.
Yes — most of the components can be prepared up to a day in advance and refrigerated separately. Reheat gently and assemble just before serving so textures stay distinct.
Stay close to the role each ingredient plays: swap aromatics for similar ones (shallot for onion, lime for lemon), and keep the fat-acid-salt balance intact. Spice blends can usually be approximated with what's in the cupboard.
Per serving (350g / 12.3 oz) · 6 servings total
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