Traditional Welsh Dishes and Specialties

Cawl is the national dish of Wales. While the word can be used for all kinds of soups, it usually refers to a traditional Welsh stew with lamb, or less often beef. Another important ingredient is leek, and various seasonal vegetables are also added.

The dish has been eaten since the 14th century, probably even longer, and is particularly popular in the cold winter months. It is usually served with fresh bread and sometimes Welsh cheese.

In Wales, many people like to eat Welsh rarebit. This dish consists of melted cheese with spices and herbs, which is placed on a slice of toasted mixed bread or a cracker. Suitable cheeses include Cheddar or Caerphilly. Many variations have been created over the centuries, so today mustard, Worcestershire sauce and often paprika powder are usually added to the cheese mixture.

The original name of the dish was Welsh Rabbit, which was presumably an ironic comment on the lack of meat. Welsh rarebit also has its own day: September 3rd is National Welsh Rarebit Day.

Another typical food from Wales is laverbread. It is also known colloquially as "Welsh caviar". For more than 400 years, local seaweed, called laver, has been boiled for several hours and then pureed. You then have several options. The seaweed is often mixed with oats and fried, sometimes seasoned with olive oil or lemon juice.

The paste can be eaten cold as a salad, possibly with meat. For a heartier option, which is often served for breakfast, the paste is served warm with bacon.

A popular sweet pastry among the specialties from Wales is Welsh cake. Other names for it are bakestone or griddle cake. These refer to the griddle required to make it.

Welsh cake is a kind of mixture of scone and pancake. The ingredients are flour, eggs, milk, butter, sugar and raisins. The latter are sometimes replaced by chocolate chips. Spices such as cinnamon or nutmeg are often added. They are served warm or cold, usually without a side dish, but often with tea.

Bara Brith is the typical Welsh style of fruit bread. The unique taste is created by soaking the dried fruit in cold black tea and brown sugar overnight. They are then baked with flour, eggs and spices to form a loaf.

Bara Brith is then served in slices with butter, often on special days such as Christmas or St. David's Day, the day of the Welsh patron saint on March 1st. Incidentally, Bara Brith means "speckled bread".

Glamorgan sausages are vegetarian sausages made from Welsh cheese. The Glamorgan cheese originally used for this is no longer produced today; Caerphilly is usually used instead, as this variety has a similarly strong flavor. The cheese is mixed with spices and leek, or alternatively onions, and then breaded.

While Glamorgan sausages have been eaten for several centuries, their popularity grew during the Second World War due to the rationing of meat at the time.

Crempogs are one of the sweet specialties from Wales. Other names for these pancakes are ffroes, pancos or cramoth. The thickness of crempogs is similar to American pancakes, but unlike these, they are made with vinegar. Other ingredients include buttermilk, flour, sugar and eggs. They are cooked on a griddle until golden brown.

They are usually served warm, piled on top of each other and drizzled with butter and honey. Crempogs are in high season on Shrove Tuesday.

Tatws Pum Munud translates as five-minute potatoes and is a nutritious broth. The main ingredients are bacon, potatoes and vegetables such as onions, carrots or peas.

Tatws Pum Munud is quick and easy to prepare and also inexpensive. The ingredients are cut into flat slices and then cooked in a pan. The stew is also usually served on a deep plate rather than in a bowl. It is often served with crusty bread and butter or Worcestershire sauce.

Wales is known for its sheep farming, with around three sheep for every inhabitant. So it's no wonder that Welsh lamb is a popular dish among locals . The good breeding conditions ensure that the meat is of high quality and has an impressive taste.

One recommended variety is Salt Marsh Lamb, which is produced on the coast and is particularly tender. Typical lamb dishes include leg of lamb, shoulder of lamb, saddle of lamb or roast lamb.

The fishing village of Conwy in the north of Wales attracts tourists with its idyllic flair and delicious fresh mussels. This is where the River Conwy meets the Irish Sea, where river water and salty sea water mix, creating wonderful conditions for the local mussels.

Conwy Mussels are particularly large and meaty. Cooked in wine and served with vegetables, they are a delicious meal for foodies. There is even a Conwy Mussel Museum in Wales.