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Are you ready for the gut-busting black forest gateauA rich cake containing layers of cream or fruit.? Or perhaps the smooth, wobbling mound of cream and sugar known as a blancmange?

To the delight of some and the horror of others, 1970s-style desserts are back in. Gone are plates of sliced fruit or humble sugared bites. Now is the time of big, fancy puddings.

Some researchers think that sugary foods are becoming more popular because people are facing inflation and economic uncertainty. One reporter described them as "comfort snacks."

There is a physical benefit to cakes. The sugar provides a quick energy boost. Fat helps us store energy for the future, when food might be scarce. It also helps us keep warm.

They can even help us through sickness. The Ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates said: "Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food."

There are also mental benefits. Food brings comfort and happiness. And humans are at their strongest when they are together. 

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Desserts are also a very important part of various different cultures around the world. Every country has its own sweet treat.

Some say that history is also defined by the best puddings. Politicians come and go. Countries rise and fall. But desserts remain a constant, passed down through the centuries. The British have eaten Christmas puddings since the 16th Century, for example.

Is pudding more important than politics?

Yes! Puddings travel with us through the centuries, lingering in the mouths of generation after generation. Politics is temporary.

No! Politics can affect people in an existentialRelating to the state of human existence. Existential dread can refer to grappling with your own experiences of responsibility and death. way, defining how they live their lives. Pudding is just a fleeting enjoyment.