Yorkshire puddings are a staple part of a traditional British roast dinner, along with vegetables, roast potatoes, meat and gravy.
But apparently, we've been eating them all wrong.
Before Yorkshire puddings were produced in packets of six and sold on the shelves, the much-loved accompaniment was invented to fill guests up before a feast, not to eat alongside the rest of the meal as we do now, explains Daily Star.
Speaking on a new Channel 5 documentary, Toby Carvery: How Do They Do It?, food historian Seren Charringtom Hollis revealed that Yorkshires were originally eaten as a starter in the 15th century when beef was spit-roasted over an open fire.
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“Originally, your Yorkshire pudding would be called a dripping pudding. It was originally a batter pudding that the meat juices on the spit would drop into underneath, and then you would cook this batter,” she said.
"Not quite like today’s modern fluffy Yorkshire pud, but very filling nonetheless. The idea was that you would eat it before your roast beef because it would fill you up.
"Beef was expensive – any meat was expensive – so you needed to fill up your guests on the batter pudding so they would eat less of the expensive meat."
In fact, when the meal was first popularised, only the richest members of society could afford it.
"When you look at the 15th century, the type of people that would be eating that would be really at the top of society," she explained.
"Just like today, if the royals do something, or those with money do something, it gradually works down the social scale because we all want to mimic and copy what’s in fashion."
But the humble Yorkshire is hugely popular now, Toby Carvery general manager Michael Murrell.
"I believe it’s over 21 million a year of Yorkshire puddings that we’ll serve,” he said.
"Having a young child walk up and see a massive Yorkshire that’s the size of their head always puts a smile on their face," he claimed.
The show also shared how to create the perfect Yorkshire pudding from home.
Professional MasterChef winner Gary Maclean said to measure out a mugful of flour, milk and eggs, and whisk together the mixture to get lots of air into the batter.
A Yorkshire also requires a generous helping of fat or oil, which should be heated up before the batter is poured into the trays.
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