To call it pudding and so relate itto rice and tapioca would be an insult.
This line exaggerates how fancy the men’s college lunch was. Woolf describes the food as rich and luxurious, and then jokes that calling the dessert “pudding,” like plain rice or tapioca, would be insulting because it was so much better than that. This shows how much more privilege and comfort the men had. In broader context of the essay, this part supports Woolf’s point that money, comfort, and good living conditions help people think and create. The food comparison highlights that these advantages were given to men, while women were left with far less and need to work harder in order to afford one