History of Butterscotch Budino

“Budino” is an Italian word that means pudding, but the concept of pudding goes back to Medieval times in England. Medieval puddings were savory and often served with sausages, meats and blood. The Italian rendition chose a sweeter path by replacing the proteins with nuts and cookies.

In the US, the budino made its first appearance in 1963. Published in a small California newspaper called the San Fernando Valley Living, the dessert was mentioned in an article which told the story of an event hosted by the Wine and Food Society of San Fernando Valley. This event featured courses from “foreign lands” that locals were not familiar with, which included the budino Maltais. The course was said to have originated from Malta, a small European island nation just off the southern coast of Italy.

The roots of butterscotch is a bit more murky. While most can agree that the “butter” part of the word refers to just that – butter, there is some debate over where the “scotch” piece comes from. Some say it is in reference to the birthplace of butterscotch (Scotland), while others believe it derived from the word “scorch” due to the burnt sugar flavor. Others still point to the meaning of “to cut or score” as the candy must be cut before hardening.

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