Black puddings are large cooked blood sausages of compact texture, made from swine blood, suet, breadcrumbs and oatmeal. Almost black in colour, they are usually sold precooked, but are often reheated by sautéing before serving as part of traditional breakfasts. As blood-based products they require strict hygiene and thorough heat treatment during manufacture, since blood is an excellent growth medium for bacteria, and they must be chilled promptly and kept within shelf life. Regional recipes vary the cereal and seasoning mix, but all share the iron-rich, savoury character that makes black pudding a distinctive, if divisive, charcuterie tradition.