Welsh Cuisine

Welsh cuisine is the food culture native to Wales.

Welsh people have Celtic roots, like their distant Scottish and Irish relatives. The Welsh language, a celtic language, is the traditional language of Wales; however, English is increasingly common.

Many foods are traditionally cooked in an open fireplace. A pot or cauldron is used for stews and similar dishes. Pot ovens, like dutch ovens, are used for roasting meats or baking cakes. A bakestone(maen) or board(planc) is used for some traditional breads.

Wales is famous for its castles and dragon lore. Wales has long traditions of vocal music as well as harp music. Traditional instruments of Wales include the crwth, a type of bowed lyre.

Ingredients

Oats(ceirch) are traditionally the most important grain used in Wales. Barley and wheat are also used.

Leeks and cabbage are popular cultivated vegetables. Wild vegetables are sometimes used. Fennel grows wild in Wales and is used for seasoning some dishes, such as fish.

Potatoes(tatws) have become common since their introduction in the 18th century.

Laver(lawr) is a type of algae harvested from the ocean on the west coast of Wales.

Cockles are a type of saltwater clam enjoyed in Welsh cuisine.

Fish used in Welsh cuisine include sea trout(sewin), salmon, herring, trout, and mackerel. Fish are often dried and smoked or salted.

Traditionally, pig is widely raised for use meat, often salted. Beef is also used. Cow’s milk is used for dairy products such as butter and cheese. Sheep are also raised for meat.

Dishes

• porridge(uwd): boiled oats
• oatmeal gruel(griwel blawd ceirch): thin mixture of ground oats and hot water
• sowans(sucan): coarse ground oat pudding
• flummery(llymru): finely ground oat pudding
• griddle cake(pice ar y maen): griddle pancake, sometimes with currants or other fruit
• oat bread
• speckled bread(bara brith): bread with dried fruit and seasoning, often tea
• rarebit(caws pobi): toasted bread with cheese
• shot: crushed oat bread in buttermilk
• brose: meat stock with crushed oat bread
• laverbread(bara lawr): paste made from laver, a type of ocean algae
• cawl: soup with many variations, typically with lamb or beef, leek, and vegetables
• leek soup(cawl cennin): generally a thick soup with leek, potato, meat stock, and cream
• steamed cockles
• roasted lamb with laver sauce