John Lennon's Favorite Breakfast Included This Divisive Sausage

John Lennon gained an appreciation of cooking and comfort cuisine during his lifetime. This included foods like curry, homemade bread, and a variety of drinks, such as the creamy brandy Alexander cocktail that got Lennon into drunken trouble one night. There was one comfort food, though, that he was always very fond of. According to personal assistant May Pang, who briefly became Lennon's lover, the man was absolutely smitten with having black pudding for breakfast.

In 1973, the pair spent 18 months together by her recollection, in a period of time sometimes known as The Lost Weekend. During this separation from Yoko Ono, Pang and Lennon lived together, sharing meals and life experiences. According to Pang, the man had an insatiable appetite in the mornings and liked lavish breakfasts with tomatoes, chips (similar to American fries), and black pudding from a local butcher. Lennon enjoyed the luscious pudding as part of a full English breakfast, a classic spread that often includes beans, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, toast, and more. Given that the pair were living between Los Angeles and New York City during their time together, it makes sense then that he'd be excited to eat a staple from his homeland.

Pang, however, was not experienced with the dish. Lennon instructed her to "just fry it up," which she did, much to his delight (via Daily Mail). Pang noted that it gave the kitchen a strong odor, but he loved the stuff anyway, so she kept making it. When he returned to Ono, Lennon didn't seem to eat these kinds of breakfasts much anymore. He did consume an iconic corned beef deli sandwich as his last meal, but it's likely black pudding wasn't on the menu as much during his final years.

Americans reading this might be a little confused right now. Pudding stateside is a sweet dessert similar to custard, something you'd never dream of frying. From a U.S. perspective, then, black pudding is a food with a misleading name because it's actually a kind of sausage. 

It's sometimes a divisive food because it contains actual blood as an ingredient. Eating blood is frowned upon in certain cultures and religions, but this pudding and similar blood sausages are delicacies in South America and parts of Europe. In the United Kingdom, it has been around for hundreds of years and is enjoyed in Ireland, Scotland, and England, where John Lennon was born. 

As for taste, black pudding is a rich sausage with bold flavors. It's savory and earthy with a high salt content and a slightly crumbly texture. Depending on the area it's made in, it may contain oats, black pepper, nutmeg, mace, and cinnamon.

While Americans aren't often cooking with blood, you can sometimes find blood sausage or black pudding in specialty stores and butcher shops. You can also make it yourself at home if you don't mind long prep times and strong smells. You can find recipes online, but to make the sausage, you'll need everything from fresh or dried pig's blood to pearl barley. If you want to have your breakfast like Lennon, though, it might all be worth it.