THERE are many things that make people proud to be from Yorkshire.
From the rolling hills of the Dales to Hull's historic fishing industry, there is a reason why Yorkshire is dubbed "God's county".
Besides the breathtaking scenery and famous down-to-earth wit, the White Rose county is home to the humble and much-loved Yorkshire pudding.
With its golden colour and crisp but stodgy texture, it is the perfect accompaniment to roasts and gravy all over the country.
Tomorrow is National Yorkshire Pudding Day and chefs across East Yorkshire have their whisks and pudding tins at the ready.
Ben Cox, owner and chef at The Star @ Sancton, has won the Great Yorkshire Pudding Challenge for the past two years.
"The secret to a great Yorkshire pudding is the flavouring," he said.
"It has got to have a nice appearance and be nice and crisp on the outside and stodgy on the inside but adapting your recipe to suit the food you are cooking is key.
"If I am putting it with pork, I will use pork fat and rosemary. If I am putting it with roast beef, I use sage.
"They have always been a popular dish, especially on our Sunday roasts.
Ben uses three different sizes of trays to cook the puddings, depending on which course they will be used for.
Yorkshire puddings are served at the Star as a starter, an accompaniment to a main course and as a dessert.
Ben, who recently featured on Channel 5's The Great Northern Cookbook, said: "Yorkshire puddings can be very versatile.
"If I am making them to serve as desert I will drop the salt and replace it with a little bit of icing sugar.
"I often add a little mint and serve it with chocolate, which seems to be very popular."
Ben is working on a new bread and butter pudding-style dish, using Yorkshire puddings.
The lifestyle of a chef means working long hours on evenings and weekends, however Ben makes a point of enjoying the fruits of his labour on his one day off.
Ben said: "Monday is my day off and I always try to have a Yorkshire pudding with some roast beef. I can't go without them."
James Mackenzie, chef and proprietor at The Pipe and Glass Inn, in South Dalton, shares Ben's passion for the Yorkshire pudding and says his secret recipe has diners flocking to the restaurant. He said: "My Yorkshire puddings are legendary – at least, that's what I'm told.
"The secret is a lot of eggs, a hot oven and hot oil.
"There is not one perfect pudding. Some people like theirs big and fluffy, others like them crispy, but I try to make them as big as possible."
"Yorkshire puddings are I think the first dish I ever made at about five or six years old.
"I can remember cracking the eggs and whisking like mad, then my Mum would say carry on, they need more air in, but I think this was just a ploy to keep me occupied for a while longer – nothing to do with her recipe."
