Is Rice Pudding Back In Fashion?

Dating back many centuries, rice pudding is one of the most vintage desserts out there. But it seems the old-school dish is back on the menu, with a spate of buzzy restaurants and bakeries launching new takes on the classic dessert.

How Chefs Are Reinventing Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is a bit like Marmite: for some people, it brings back memories of sad, lumpy school dinners, for others it’s the ultimate comfort food. Its exact origins are hard to pin down – the dish can be traced back to ancient China, India and the Byzantine Empire. But it’s thought the dish made its way to UK shores in the 14th century – a recipe for ‘potted rice’ appears in one of the country’s oldest cookbooks, The Forme of Curry, believed to have been created by the cooks of King Richard II. 

Traditionally, the dessert was made by cooking rice, milk, cream and sugar, resulting in a creamy, warm dessert. For many years, it was only enjoyed by the aristocracy, as rice was considered a luxury ingredient. However, during the 18th century rice became more affordable, and by the 1920s it was widely known as a staple, low-cost breakfast for Victorian schoolchildren.

For this reason, rice pudding is often viewed as a humble, bland dish – although cuisines all over the world have been jazzing it up in different ways for years. The Danish version is risalamande, flavoured with almond and a warm cherry sauce; the Greeks add egg yolks; the Turkish make it with cinnamon and serve it cold; and in India it’s infused with cardamom and rose water, and known as kheer. 

And recently, British chefs and bakers have begun introducing exciting twists on the rice pudding to their menus. We’ve rounded up some of the best (and most interesting) below.

London’s Best Rice Puddings And Rice-Based Desserts

Arroz Con Leche – Fonda

Fonda is one of this year’s hottest culinary openings, helmed by chef Santiago Lastra. It’s set to open later this month, and a highlight on the dessert menu is arroz con leche: a rich, creamy rice pudding infused with cinnamon and quince. Topped with a mezcal custard, it offers a smoky, Mexican-inspired twist on the classic pud.

TRY IT: 12 Heddon St, London W1B 4BZ, fondalondon.com

Pirate Amazake R(Ice-Cream) – Silo

Douglas McMcaster’s Silo is one of the city’s most impressive zero-waste restaurants. The team works with Raybel Carters, a carbon-free social enterprise, to import a special ‘pirate’ rice, which is used to make Amazake, meaning ‘sweet sake’. This is then churned into an ice-cream, topped with shaved ice made from the invasive species of Himalayan Balsam, a rare plant. 

TRY IT: Unit 7 1st Floor, c/o CRATE Bar, Unit 7 Queen’s Yard, London E9 5EN, silolondon.com

Rice Pudding – St. John

London stalwart St. John is known for serving British classics, so it makes sense that rice pudding often pops up on the menu come autumn time. It’s kept traditional here, made with pudding rice, whole milk and sugar simmered with bay leaves. 

TRY IT: 26 St John St, Barbican, London EC1M 4AY, stjohnrestaurant.com

Midland Grand

The French version of rice pudding is riz au lait, made with full-fat milk, sugar, short-grain pudding rice and  vanilla syrup or extract. Traditionalists should head to Midland Grand, the brasserie within the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, to try this simple version, made by cooking pudding rice in sweetened milk, and topping it with fruit.

TRY IT: St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd., London NW1 2AR, midlandgranddiningroom.com

Rice Pudding Danish – Pophams

This cult bakery added a new seasonal pastry to its menu recently: a fig, Earl Grey and rice pudding Danish, which sees the inside filled with creamy rice pudding, and the crispy outer layer topped with a fig slice. It will be available in all outposts (Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park) throughout the season. 

TRY IT: Locations in Islington, London Fields and Victoria Park, pophamsbakery.com