Yeah, we know that's a lot of consonants, but we didn't just invent the words. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus means Happy St. David's Day in Welsh. And it is a day dedicated to the country's saint, David.
We have a chef called David, but he's no saint, so this is not about him.
St David was born in the year 500. He was the grandson of Ceredig ap Cunedda, King of Ceredigion. And according to legend, his mother gave birth to him on a Pembrokeshire clifftop during a fierce storm. Now that is how you make an entrance. St David became a renowned preacher, founding monastic settlements and churches in Wales, Brittany and southwest England – including, possibly, the abbey at Glastonbury.
He was a great guy with a vision, a mission and a calling.
Nowadays, St.David is celebrated in Wales every March 1st. Schools and small towns dress up for the occasion, flags waving, leeks showing, and daffodils raining. OK, not all that, but you get the gist. It's a day to celebrate all things, Welsh, including Welsh food.
So, if you aren't Welsh, you are now asking yourself, Welsh food? Like what? So let's enlighten you...
The Queen of Cakes, the Welsh Cake.
Is it a cake? Is it a pancake? Is it a biscuit? No. It is all of the above. This magnificent circle of soft, warm, buttery perfection has been made in Wales since the late 18thcentury. Welsh cakes were originally baked on a bakestone or griddle over an open fire since domestic ovens were a no-go back then. Hence some questionable people call them "bakestone cakes", but don't do that. The proper name is Welsh Cakes.
Today, Welsh cakes are made on a griddle, and you can see them every day being made fresh before your eyes at almost any indoor market, like the Cardiff Indoor market.
Sheep are not just for... they are for eating Welsh Cawl
Get your mind out of the gutter! Cawl is a stew made from bacon, Welsh lamb or beef (although using cheaper cuts of meat is also traditional), and root vegetables. However, unlike other stews, Cawl's tend to be more brothy. Giving birth to the sentence "Cystal yfed o'r cawl â bwyta's cig"—"It is as good to drink the broth as to eat the meat". When you think about it, it is a good mantra to have in life.
Speaking of lamb, Welsh lamb is world famous, but Wales farmers also produce excellent Welsh beef, most notably from the Welsh black cattle. As a result, both Welsh lamb and beef have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.
Welsh Rarebit, not to be confused with "rare bits."
Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit (/ˈrɛərbɪt/ or /ˈræbɪt/). There is nothing rare about rarebit, as it is like a "posh cheese on toast", but you add some leeks to make it Welsh-ie. The dish has lived in the heart of Welsh culture since 1725-ish, and it now has its own national day – September 3rd is Welsh Rarebit Day.
Me and all of my beaches: Cockles and Laverbread
The Welsh coast also offers seafood culinary delights, like the famous Swansea breakfast plate that combines local seafood from the Gower, including Penclawdd cockles and laverbread. Laverbread is a type of seaweed collected along the coastline, known as a typically Welsh ingredient.
The Welsh coastline offers the best of fresh fish, from Pembrokeshire, the mussel farms of Bangor, to Anglesey Oysters and our famous laverbread, edible seaweed or 'Welshman's caviar', collected from the shores of Gower.
Sheep are not just for... Cockles and Laverbread. sh Cawl. just passing by, don't miss the chance to try some delicious Welsh produce and culinary delights and remember: Dydd Gŵyl Dew..
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