How To Make Sugoli, The Traditional Italian Grape Pudding
Discover the unique history and authentic recipe for Sugoli, a traditional Italian grape pudding deeply rooted in the rural tradition of northern Italy and the Emilia-Romagna region. This easy vegan dessert dates back to the 1500s as a medicinal treat.
Sugolo is a typical dessert from the culinary traditions of Emilia-Romagna and Mantua. It is a red grape pudding with a magnificent purple hue and an even more wonderful flavor! It originated as a peasant dish, traditionally prepared with grape must and flour. However, today it is made in a decidedly simpler manner.
Many families now use black grape juice. If you can find it ready-made, that works perfectly. Otherwise, you can obtain it by squeezing raw grapes and adding a bit of sugar. Some also cook the grapes before juicing them. Furthermore, this dessert is now often prepared with white grapes as well.
It is a vegan dessert, and since it contains no milk or dairy products, it is suitable for those who are lactose intolerant. For those with gluten intolerance, the flour can be substituted with cornstarch or potato starch to make the dessert more inclusive.
The preparation of Sugoli is truly simple, as it involves combining and thickening the ingredients on the stovetop, followed by further solidification in the refrigerator. Therefore, this spoonable dessert recipe is suitable even for novice cooks.
Sugoli can be consumed as a dessert after a meal, whether lunch or dinner, but also as a snack.
The History of Italian Grape Pudding
The “sugolo,” known as “Sugol” in the Mantuan dialect, is a true delicacy that exudes the aroma of autumn and evokes memories of family and rural traditions upon tasting it. It is a rich, dark purple pudding with an intense flavor, prepared with freshly pressed grape must after the grapes are crushed in the vineyard. The recipe for Sugoli originated in the Veneto region but quickly spread to Emilia Romagna and Lombardy, particularly in the Mantuan area.
However, few people know that before becoming a delectable dessert, the sugolo was a medicinal preparation with special virtues – a veritable panacea.
Indeed, the term “sugolo” derives from “sugoi” and originally referred to a sort of small polenta made to soothe the skin of the poor sick people suffering from plagues in the 1500s. It seems that this galenic product, initially intended for external use, was transformed into a delicacy for the palate, to be enjoyed with a spoon, simply by replacing the water in the original mixture with grape must. This revolutionary idea, while likely not curative for the plague, was beneficial for other aspects of our health due to the good supply of vitamins C and B, as well as carotenoids present in the grape must.
Until a few decades ago, every household would procure the must during the grape harvest season around September. Nowadays, only a select few have the fortune of having access to the grape juice produced in their own or a friend’s vineyard and can enjoy the preparation of this ancient pudding. The food processing industry, by distributing its canned products, has contributed to the decline of gastronomic traditions rich in family affection.
Ingredients of Traditional Red Grape Pudding
- 1 liter red strawberry grape juice or grape must
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g granulated sugar
- Lemon zest of 1 lemon
- 4–5 cloves
Grape Must: If you cannot find the grape must, you can substitute it with ready-made black grape juice, or you can prepare the grape juice from fresh grapes. Here’s how: To obtain the grape juice, simply take about 2 kg of red strawberry grapes or black grapes, wash them, and crush them with a potato masher. Then, pass it through a fine mesh strainer. For this step, I recommend wearing latex gloves to avoid staining your hands with the purple color.
Flour: The amount traditionally indicated in the family recipe is 120 g, and it will allow to obtain a firm pudding. If you prefer a more fluid and creamy pudding, you can use only 70-80 g of flour.
Sugar: Before adding sugar, taste the mixture, as it is usually already quite sweet due to the natural sweetness of the muscat grapes.
Flavorings: The flavorings are optional, and you can omit them. The oldest recipe consists of only two ingredients: grape must and flour.
How To Make Traditional Italian Grape Pudding
In a saucepan, combine the flour and spices. Gradually whisk in the grape juice, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming. Only at the end, add the sugar a little at a time, tasting the mixture to determine if to add more sugar.
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the Sugoli from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
After the mixture has boiled for 2–3 minutes, it should be very thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before pouring into a mold of your choice. A regular bowl, rectangular container, or pudding molds work well. Let cool at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes, then refrigerate and enjoy chilled after a few hours.
With these quantities, you will obtain a fairly thick pudding. Consume your grape pudding directly from the mold, spread them on biscuits, or incorporate them into a dessert for maximum enjoyment. Personally, I prefer to eat them straight from the mold with a spoon!
How to Store Sugoli?
Grape Pudding, being a simple and homemade dessert as mentioned earlier, is not suitable for long-term preservation. Ideally, you should prepare and consume it fresh, to fully enjoy its delightful taste.
However, if you have prepared an excessive amount of grape pudding and need to store it for a second occasion, you can refrigerate it for a few days (maximum 4 or 5 days).
After a few days of storage, it is likely that a layer of natural mold will form on the surface of the Sugolo. This is perfectly normal! If you are not too particular, you can simply remove the surface layer of mold and enjoy the underlying pudding in its intact goodness.
This process may initially seem strange, if not outright unappetizing. But it harks back to the history and tradition of this particular dessert. Nevertheless, if you want to avoid the risk of consuming mold-contaminated pudding, consume the grape pudding immediately after preparation. Alternatively, eat it within one or two days to prevent waste.
How To Make Sugoli, The Traditional Italian Grape Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 liter red strawberry grape juice black grape juice or grape must
- 120 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g granulated sugar optional
- Lemon zest of 1 lemon optional
- 4 cloves optional
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the flour and spices.
- Gradually whisk in the grape juice, stirring continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
- Only at the end, add the sugar a little at a time, tasting the mixture to determine if the desired sweetness has been achieved.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent the Sugoli from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- After the mixture has boiled for 2–3 minutes, it should be very thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before pouring into a mold of your choice. A regular bowl, rectangular container, or pudding molds work well.
- Let cool at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 6–8 hours and enjoy chilled.
