suet

Everyday

1. Suet is hard white fat from around the kidneys of cows and sheep, used in cooking. tree →
2. Vegetable suet is a similar fat made from plants. tree →

In the lessons

In British and Irish cooking suet makes dumplings, Christmas pudding, mince pies and steamed puddings. Bird lovers put suet balls out in winter to feed birds. In The Wind in the Willows and old stories, suet puddings are hearty country food.

Examples

• Mum adds suet to the dumplings for the stew. tree →
• We hung a suet ball in the garden for the birds. tree →
• Christmas pudding is made with suet and dried fruit. tree →
• Vegetarians use vegetable suet. tree →
• The old cook made a big suet pudding. tree →
• Blue tits love pecking at suet in winter. tree →

Note

Uncountable: «some suet», not «a suet» (but «a suet pudding», «suet balls»). Pronounced SOO-it.

In Jewish tradition

Hard fat from around the kidneys and inner parts of an animal, which was burned on the altar as part of the offering; the Torah usually calls it "the fat."

Interpretation. Tradition reads the forbidden fat (chelev) as belonging to God on the altar, so Jews may not eat the fat of cattle, sheep and goats, a law that still shapes kosher butchering.

Examples

• And when the ram was cut into its pieces, Moses made the head, and the pieces, and the suet smoke. (Torah LEV.8.20, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, and the head, and the suet, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar; (Torah LEV.1.8, JPS 1917) tree →
• And he shall cut it into its pieces; and the priest shall lay them, with its head and its suet, in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar. (Torah LEV.1.12, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Uncountable: «some suet», not «a suet» (but «a suet pudding», «suet balls»). Pronounced SOO-it.