Where does the phrase "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" originate from? 

Language without idioms, phrases and expressions would be quite dull and mundane. This is because they allow us to describe a certain thought or situation in a unique and creative way. Moreover, they share cultural and historical information which helps to broaden our understanding of language. Most of them tend to sound quirky, or a little intriguing at the least. One such expression is “the proof of the pudding is in the eating” and no, it is not used in gastronomical sense. Read on to learn what it means and where it originated from. 

What does the phrase "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" mean? 
Essentially, the phrase "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" conveys that in order to properly judge how effective something is, one has to use it for its intended purpose. In other words, it says that the real worth or success of something cannot be determined unless it has been tried and tested, all appearances and promises aside. Thus, it taps into the rational way of looking at something without any preconceived notions or assumptions. For example, one might say, “The new doctor’s methods got rid of my back pain. If you don’t believe me, the proof of the pudding is in the eating!” 

The origin 
The meaning of the phrase is quite straightforward to understand: How good the pudding is can only be decided after having eaten it first. Thus, in this context, the word ‘proof’ signifies a type of test that has to be taken before reaching the conclusion about something. This phrase is also often shortened down to “the proof is in the pudding.” The shorter version has integrated itself into the modern English language and is used more often than its longer counterpart. 

The original expression, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating" is actually very old. It is widely believed that the origin of the phrase dates all the way back to the 14^th century. But, linguistic historians have not managed to find ample supporting evidence in order to prove that. The phrase is widely attributed to Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes’ famous book, ‘Don Quixote.’ The expression was derived in the 18^th century after Peter Motteux translated the Spanish text. His work was met with criticism as people called it nothing more than a loose paraphrasing. In one of the parts that he was translating, he came up with the sentence “the proof of pudding is in the eating.” According to many, this is how the phrase was initially born. 

The earliest printed example of the phrase dates back to the the year 1605 by William Camden in his anthology of historical essays titled ‘Remaines of a Greater Worke, Concerning Britaine’ where he wrote, “All the proof of a pudding is in the eating.”