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Shop Product Updates in The Crafter and Hand Made menus, 20th to 27th September
Shop Product Updates in The Crafter and Hand Made menus, 20th to 27th September
Cawl, or Welsh cawl is a Welsh word, also known as ‘lobscows’ in north Wales, and is recognised as a Welsh National dish. It is used to describe a hearty stew of meat and vegetables - the nearest English translation of the word is a soup or a broth. However, cawl is a meal rather than a soup. When accompanied by freshly made bread and Caerphilly cheese, it is a definitely a meal and not a just a ‘starter’!
As a National dish, cawl has been in existence for many hundreds of years. Recipes have been handed down from generation to generation and this has naturally led to variations in the recipes throughout Wales. It is often said that there are as many varieties of cawl as there are households where it was cooked.
Cawl was traditionally eaten during the winter months. Today it describes a dish dish containing lamb and leeks but historically it was made with either salted bacon or beef, along with swedes, carrots and other seasonal vegetables. With the introduction of potatoes into the European diet in the latter half of the 16th century, this too would become a core ingredient in the recipe.
Cawl is pronounced in a similar way to the English word "cowl" as in a chimney cowl or as in wolf "howl". It is also similar to the English “ow” as in expressing a sudden pain, as in “ow, that hurts”!
It is also used in everyday Welsh language when describing making a mess of anything. So the phrase “gwneud cawl (or cawlach) o bethau means to make a mess of something. This mess can mean a physical mess of something but it is also used, for example in sport, top describe a situation when a player has messed something up!
As explained above, there are a multitude of different cawl recipes. But here is a traditional version, using lamb, bacon/ham and suede to try...
It is often better to use a cheaper cut of meat on the bone so that maximum flavour is obtained.
Lastly, make sure you have some freshly made or bought crusty bread and Caerphilly cheese - together this will make a fantastic, hearty and healthy winter meal.
Our company, FelinFach Natural Textiles is located in the heart of the Preseli area of Pembrokeshire near to Boncath. We design Welsh blankets, Welsh woollen blankets and throws which are traditionally woven at Welsh mills. We also design and make natural hand dyed yarn, cotton, silk and wool scarves and other handmade products. We are a proud supporter of the Campaign for Wool, Global Welsh and Wales International.
Last updated 12th September 2020
Owain Glyndŵr Day, 16th September, commemorates the last native Welshman to hold the title Prince of Wales. Today, he is a figure of mass culture in Wales, with statues, flags and monuments alongside pubs and street names remembering him. He is possibly one of the greatest Welshmen of all time if not the greatest. His name is still remembered and revered today.
Wool blankets and throws and traditional hand weaving are at the heart of FelinFach's ethos of "Natural, Traditional, Handmade". All of our wool blankets are traditionally hand woven in Wales on age old looms using the skills and methods of times gone by. Whilst the weaving methods are traditional, our designs, patterns and colours range from not only the traditional but also the contemporary.
Be part of the worldwide celebrations for Roald Dahl's Day on Sunday 13th September 2020! Dahl’s story began in 1916 in when he was born at Villa Marie, Fairwater Road, Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, a house name was named after the first wife. In 1918 his father, Harald, purchased a much grander property, Ty Mynydd (Mountain House in Welsh), a large farm of 150 acres in Radyr, near Cardiff.
