Bread sauce - is it just a Proddy thing?

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

Long version - my DM (Prod) has always served bread sauce with Christmas dinner when I was a child. Sometimes we would go to Dad's side of the family (Catholic) for Christmas dinner and I can't remember clearly whether we had bread sauce then or not, but I think we did. Certainly when they came to us there weren't any comments about Mum serving bread sauce, but perhaps they were being polite.

This morning DH was shopping in Dunnes and there was no bread sauce, I wanted fresh but would have accepted packet mix, but nothing at all. He asked a couple of employees but they had never heard of it, however they weren't Irish so it could just be something that they're not aware of.

DH (Asian, so thinks a sauce made from bread is weird and unnecessary) was on a video chat with his friend when I walked into the room and he told me that he couldn't find it. His friend (Irish Catholic) had no idea what bread sauce was either, he's the one that suggested it's a Proddy thing. When I thought about it I realised that I had only ever bought fresh bread sauce from M&S, so imported into Ireland, but I still feel like I've seen packet bread sauce around in other places too.

So, which is it?
a) Everyone knows and uses bread sauce
b) It's just for Protestants
c) Condiments don't have a religious affiliation
d) Only a slattern would buy it instead of making it herself.

And cold bread sauce, the next day, sliced and balanced on a roastie, whilst rootling in the fridge: mmm...

@Fuckitsstillraining

Its a proddy thing, but more importantly where do you keep your toaster? Cupboard or counter top?

Ooh this is the real divider.

@Fuckitsstillraining

Its a proddy thing, but more importantly where do you keep your toaster? Cupboard or counter top?

Counter top, of course. However, the next kitchen that I design will have a snack area (bread bin, kettle, toaster etc) that can be closed off to make it look like a floor to ceiling cupboard, so will sort of be a combination of counter and cupboard. I suspect that is a direct result of my mixed heritage, neither one thing nor the other.

Protestant, and have never heard of having bread sauce with Christmas dinner and I don't know anyone else that does.
Alternatively, I don't know any Catholics who eat it either.

Maybe it's just that you have a weird MIL

sorry, weird mum

CofE family here and definite bread saucers

We (Protestant) love it, best friend (Catholic) hates it and has never had it served at home. Scottish side of the family (Protestant) always served it too. You could be onto something here OP! 😂

Read a recipe today OP that suggested nutmeg instead of cloves, that might be worth a try?

My bread sauce has cloves and nutmeg.

It is so easy to make, slattern!
Besides you can puddings made from bread, salads made from bread. Whats so weird about a sauce.

I really dislike nutmeg, so wouldn't substitute it for cloves.

@gavisconismyfriend

Read a recipe today OP that suggested nutmeg instead of cloves, that might be worth a try?

That's a good idea.

Incidentally, I'm a bread sauce loving Jewish person so how do you like them apples?!

I'm a Protestant from Belfast and I've never had bread sauce. Don't think I'd ever really heard about it until I moved to England either!

Irish Catholic and we often have Bread Sauce with Chicken or Turkey. Always homemade though. I have never seen it premade in Irish Supermarkets.

I've never heard of bread sauce and never tried it. I only heard of pigs in blankets after coming on MN a few years ago. I presume they are sausage rolls.

Catholic from Cork with a toaster on the counter.

It's mediaeval, so predates Protestantism.

I presume it isn't really an Irish thing because Ireland is a bit wet for an abundance of wheat, and so those in Ireland who do have it had closer connections to England and therefore more likely to be Protestant?

It is, however, the food of the Gods. Speaking for myself, voting A, C and D (ignoring any contradiction between food of the Gods and C...).

NI Prod and we never had it at home. I always assumed it was
A) English
B) disgusting (despite bread and milk being individually two of my favourite foodstuffs, I can't get my head around making a sauce from them)

And to the PP on pg1 who said about it being Christmas DINNER, not Christmas lunch, you are absolutely right!

I'm Irish and we ALWAYS have bread sauce!!!!

But then I'm a rare Irish prod.

So maybe there's something in your theory. I'm actually pretty sure my Catholic DHs family has no clue what it is.

Scottish Catholic friend from a NI family always had bread sauce. I grew up proddy and never had it

But parsnips to me will always be English

English proddy here, serving it to Irish MIL this week for the first time. Irish catholic husband tried it for the first time at my parents' house. And LOVED it. So I think b and definitely d

C of E and Muslim background. Bread sauce always. But enough of this sectarianism.

The real question is why on earth don't you make your own? So easy and much much nicer than any shop bought gloop.

My Jewish husband always make bread sauce for Christmas dinner. I'm atheist, white British (catholic dad, protestant mum) and don't really like it.

Prod here and never tried it in my life! I thought it was more of an English thing?

Scottish proddy here. I assumed everyone had bread sauce??