Jam Roly-Poly

Jam Roly-Poly, Dead Man's Arm or Dead Man's Leg is a traditional British dessert probably invented in the early 19th century. It is a flat-rolled suet pudding, which is then spread with jam and rolled up, similar to a Swiss roll, then steamed or baked. In days past, Jam Roly-Poly was also known as shirt-sleeve pudding, because it was often steamed and served in an old shirt-sleeve. Because of this, another nickname for the pudding was dead-man's arm, or dead man's leg.

Jam Roly-Poly features in Mrs Beeton's cookery book, as Roly-Poly Jam Pudding. This pudding is one of a range of puddings that are now considered part of the classic desserts of the mid 20th century British school dinners. Much loved, as part of the nostalgia of growing up for some older British adults, Jam Roly-Poly is considered alongside sticky toffee pudding and spotted dick pudding as an essential part of their childhood diet.