Although English puddings such as the plum pudding are popular Christmas desserts, there are quite a lot of different types of puddings which incorporate regional or cultural variations.

Indian sweet, rich, creamy puddings may be chilled or hot cream, rice, tapioca, milk, vermicelli and carrot bases are flavored with ghee, nuts, rose petals, kewra essence, golden raisins and green cardamons. Halwa pudding contains grated carrots cooked in milk until tender, with ghee, cashews, golden raisins, sweetened condensed milk, cardamon and nutmeg. Milk-based payasams contain semolina, green split peas or vermicelli, flavored with spices and nuts and thickened with tapioca flour or almond paste.

Mediterranean cooks make sweet, rich rice puddings using whole or ground rice flavored with cinnamon stick, lemon peel, orange blossom, honey, pistachio, almonds or hazelnuts. Traditional examples include: Turkish fried semolina pudding, a pale brown, rich, soft pudding with pine nuts and vanilla; and Tunisian couscous pudding made from semolina, nuts, dates, rose water, seasonal fruits, pomegranate seeds and black raisins.

Caribbean puddings include: carrot with raisins, allspice and dark rum served warm with hot rum sauce; banana and breadfuit; chipolata made with cream, vanilla and candied fruit topped with maraschino cherries; and Christmas steamed pudding served with brandy butter or brandy sauce.

In Southeast Asia, puddings include: bubur pulot hitam, a sweet, chewy, sticky, black rice pudding from Malaysia; Cambodia’s corn pudding; Indonesia’s steamed green-colored coconut and egg pudding; Burma’s creamy sago pudding; and Philippines’ sweet fruit and yam pudding. Latin American flan, a caramel pudding, varies regionally, and may include cinnamon, grated lemon rind and coconut, blanched almonds, cocoa or dark rum. Sweet, caramelized milk pudding, or dulce de leche, is made with simmered milk, sugar and vanilla and/or condensed milk. Mexican capirotada, a hot, baked bread pudding has repeated layers of toasted, cubed white bread, butter and a layer of sliced apples, almonds, raisins and coarsely chopped cheese, topped with piloncillo syrup (brown sugar) and spices. From Weeks Publishing Co.