> Spotted dick is a sponge pudding filled with currants (hence spotted), commonly served with custard. I don't know where the dick bit came from, though.

Auughh! I just realised I posted under the delusion that "pudding" meant a cooked hot cakey bready stodgey sort of a thing. Reading this thread, I now know "pudding" in the USA apparently means that instant-mix soft glop, sort of like wet chocolate mousse.

It *certainly* isn't custard. Custard is just custard. It doesn't come in flavours. It's an eggy thing.

I think this would be called either mousse, or "instant pudding" here. "Pudding" is a baked product, or at least steamed or boiled or microwaved. My dad used to go on about "spotted dick" all the time, and yes, most people here are Americanised enough to find the name hilarious. Its other name is plum duff.

Brunnen-"still would have picked 'chocolate' whether it meant pudding or mousse, so why am I complaining?"G