I have always been intrigued by the people from Wales. I love their unique accent, distinct culture, and beautiful land. So where exactly where did the Welsh people as we know them originate? They are descended from two ethnic groups: The Celtic Invaders who arrived around 500 B.C. and the earlier tribes who came from the Iberian Peninsula(Portugal & Spain), reportedly as early as 8,000 B.C.
When the English or Anglo Saxons launched their first of many invasions against the Welsh People in the 5th century, they called these people "Welsh" meaning "Foreigners". Most of the Welsh immersed themselves into the general population of England and Southeastern Scotland. The Cymry ("Fellow Countrymen")who held out in the mountainous west continued to speak their own Celtic language (Cymraeg) much longer. In 1536, a political union between Cymru, or Wales, and England was achieved. Wales has been influenced by the English culture ever since.
After Henry VIII took the throne in 1509 he united Wales with England and worked towards improvements the relationships between the Welsh and the English. Although the Welsh were allowed the same rights as the English, anyone of importance had to speak English not Welsh. That became law. Welsh was allowed only in the home and sometimes in the Marketplace. During the 17th century many Welsh came to America. They brought with them their skills working as coal miners, their amazing hymn singing, and their incredible spirit. The Welsh have a lot to be proud of. They have some great intellectuals amongst them such as the poet Dylan Thomas and actor Richard Burton.
This week we decided to cook two authentic Welsh dishes. For starters we cooked the classic "Welsh Cakes". They are actually more like biscuits, but incredibly delicious so cakes is fine with me. We made these using nothing more than flour, sugar, baking soda, eggs, currants, and nutmeg. They were absolutely delicious! We made these for breakfast on a cold rainy Saturday morning. What a treat! The kiddos enjoyed theirs with a cold glass of milk. I enjoyed mine with a nice hot cup of tea!
For our second dish, we had to incorporate the national symbol of Wales, the Leek. Apparently it is relished in Wales for its ability to survive the winter and grow plentiful throughout the region. Although I do not mind Leeks at all, I must say they are a bit bland on their own. So I was delighted to find this wonderful recipe for Bacon & Leek Pie! Bacon makes everything taste better right?
This recipe was so simple, it just called for braised leeks in butter, bacon, and Pie crust! Even with only a handful of ingredients I still managed to muck up the pie crust. Oh well, it tasted divine!
Here are some fun facts about Wales:
The country of Wales is said to contain more castles per square mile than any other country in the world.
Wales is often termed "the land of song" the country is known for its harpists, male choirs, and solo artists.
Wales is called Cymru in Welsh.
The country of Wales is a part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain.
English and Welsh are the two official languages of Wales. Welsh is a Celtic based language that has seen a resurgence in recent times and is now spoken by over 20% of the population.
Although football (soccer) is the more popular sport in Northern Wales, Rugby Union is seen as the national sport and is passionately played and followed by most of the country.
Here are the recipes we used for this week:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/5569/welsh-cakes
http://www.alleasyrecipes.com/recipes/4/8/leek_and_bacon_pie.asp
I did not know that Wales was known as "the land of song" nor that it had so many cattle.
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