The Black Pudding Fraternity of Lovers of Good Food

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1 Mortagne-au-Perche France The Black Pudding Fraternity of Lovers of Good Food Introductory Information by Yves Landry 2016

2 Dignitaries of the Black Pudding Fraternity, The Black Pudding Fraternity was set up in 1963 at Mortagne-au-Perche in the heart of the Perche region of France by a group of lovers of good food to promote the tradition of eating black pudding. Black pudding has an ancient tradition. Two thousand years ago, whilst Romans occupied Gaul, they included wild boar and black pudding made from boars blood amongst their favourite dishes. Gallic wild boar was exported as far as the Eastern Mediterranean, where it was greatly appreciated. Traditionally black pudding was made from blood of wild boar and pig that roamed forests of the Perche country, where they feasted on the abundance of acorns and beechnuts. Nowadays black pudding is made from pigs blood mixed with fat and onion. The Black Pudding Fraternity aims to: popularise products of the Perche region; identify the great variety of black puddings in France; preserve, and where necessary recover, recipes and processes of preparation of black puddings throuhout France; encourage highest quality of this economical dish by annual competitions; keep in contact with other gastronomic societies;

3 - promote friendship, mutual help, honour and disinterestedness amongst its members. Procession of Gastronomic Brotherhoods in celebration of the 48 th Annual Meeting of the Fraternity, 27th March Every spring since 1963 the Fraternity has organized an Annual Meeting of some thirty Gastronomic Brotherhoods. They all parade through Mortagne-auPerche in their traditional regalia in celebration of the event. Highlight of the Fraternity s annual activities is however an international competition to award the best black pudding makers, as is required by its statutes. Hundreds of black puddings are entered, some traditional, some newly created innovations, from French, German, Austrian, English, Irish, Scottish, Swiss and even West Indian and Quebec pork butchers. By 1969 there were 300 entries. In entries provided by 363 competitors were received and judged. Gold, silver and bronze medals, as well as trophies, are awarded to winning pork butchers.

4 Experts assess by visual examination, smell and taste, samples of traditional French black pudding. A jury of the Fraternity in front of an assortment of traditional German black puddings.

5 Some pork butchers create creative exhibits that show imagination and innovation. During the rest of the year the Fraternity promotes black pudding and appreciates contributions to its efforts from well wishers everywhere. The Fraternity has welcomed some people into membership since These are food connoisseurs from all walks of life; included are personalities from the worlds of politics and the arts both French and from abroad. Thus thousands of members worldwide support the efforts of the Fraternity with its core leadership of about thirty dignitaries entitled to wear its regalia, which is a tradition amongst French gastronomic societies. Dignitaries of the Fraternity are ambassadors for the Perche s most noble product, its black gold! As ambassadors for Percheron black pudding the Fraternity s dignitaries have visited most of France and many places abroad to promote what in France we call boudin. Foreign visits have included Martinique (1991 and 1994), Belgium (1969 and 1988), Jersey (1973), England (1984 and 1999), Germany (1985 and 2007), Switzerland (1989), Austria (2000 and 2016), Quebec (2009), and Ireland (2010).

6 Jean-Claude Gotteri, Great Master of the Fraternity, dubs Régis Labeaume, Mayor of Quebec City, 12th June Dignitaries of the Fraternity in Quebec, June 2009.