Cawl

Cheap, easy, and delicious cawl is a traditional stew. It is believed that the dish was invented in the 14th century. Cawl was traditionally prepared in a pot over an open fire and it was usually served during festivities and special occasions.

Today, the English refer to any Welsh stew as cawl, but the most traditional version includes Welsh favorites such as lamb and leeks. At first, cawl was prepared during winter, but today, it is eaten throughout the year in many Welsh restaurants.

Since this medieval stew has evolved over time, any vegetables, meat, or seafood can be used in it, and the ingredients mainly depend on the location – seafood cawl is more frequent in the coastal areas, while the meat-filled varieties are more traditional inland.

The only imperative is that it should be cooked for hours until the ingredients and the flavors are completely fused. There are two traditional ways of consuming cawl: meat and vegetables should be consumed together with the broth, or the dish should be divided in a two-course meal so that the broth is served first, followed by meat and vegetables.