Kate, try:

[link]

NPR had a hilarious piece on some "Save the Spotted Dick" campaign in Britain a couple of years ago. There were other endangered puddings, but spotted dick was the most endangered because of its embarassing name.

ooh, there's a photo here: [link]

It lookes a bit icky. And I mean, suet?

spotted dick pic

The article is about replacing spotted richard with spotted dick.

and from straight dope,

Dear Straight Dope:

Can you shed any light on the etymology of "Spotted Dick"? It's a British concoction, a steamed, log-shaped suet pudding studded with currants, hence the "spotted." But why the "dick"?

The first explanation that leaps to mind seems highly unlikely, but I haven't been able to find a detailed and credible account of how this venerable dessert really did get its name. The best I found in over 40 pages of Google results was someone who thinks he read somewhere that the words "dick," "dog" and "duff" when applied to puddings were all derivatives of the word "dough." OK, "duff" and "dog" seem pretty plausible linguistic mutations, but even allowing for strange regional British accents, "dick" seems a little bit of a stretch. My British parents are also at a loss to explain. --Jayne

eta, total xpost. Snap, flea

Wow, we were damned impressive, moonlit. But maybe you've actually tasted it - what's it like?

I've had spotted dick, and its close cousin, plum duff. For some reason, if you make them over an open fire at camp, when you've been out in the open for a week or more, they taste *great*. At home, NSM.

Perhaps there's something to do with hunger driving you to it. I mean, people do all kinds of crazy things when they're hungry, right?

Aha! The Pudding Club is what the NPR piece was on about. See: [link] for pictures of weird-looking desserts with funny names.

spotted dick pic

Oh. Not a terribly appetizing picture, is it? And suet, ick. So, not something I'll be trying anytime soon. Thanks for all your help!

Closest is probably traditional xmas pudding.

I vaguely recall making one in Cooking Class in Form 2 (which would have been in about 1972) and I've never touched one since. However they have made a bit of a comeback over the last few years along with bread n' butter pudding, queen of puddings, sticky date pudding, bangers n' mash etc., the 'nursery/comfort' food reproduction period.

I had spotted dick at a pub in Amesbury (? one o' them stone circle towns?). I remember liking it at the time, although I couldn't tell you now what it tasted like. I giggled about so much, that my host sent me a tin of it when I was back home. Four years later, It's still sitting on top of my fridge.

Amesbury (? one o' them stone circle towns?)

The town inside the stone circle? That would be Avebury. If it's just near a stone circle, there's a rather wider choice. I don't know if they serve spotted dick in the pub in Avebury (which I think is the Red Lion-- I ate there myself only months ago, I should know the name, at least), but it sounds likely. And it would be delicious if they did. It's a good pub.

Spotted Dick's not a bad pudding. It's not a wonderful pudding, but it's okay. It's from the UK school of dumplingy-thing-with-custard puddings, of course, clearly designed to help you withstand chilly winters in a time before central heating. God alone knows the derivation of the name, but my contempt for that whole stupid ass Spotted Richard bullshit that the supermarket pulled is too great for mere words to expres. If they genuinely thought the knob gags were a problem, 'Spotted Pudding' or 'Fruit Pudding' would have been fine. Changing 'Dick' to 'Richard' is going to make you stare blankly, do the math, and then go "Richard? Richard? What?....Oh yeah! Spotted Dick. Why have they...oh! They've changed it 'cause it means cock."