Welsh Food and Drink

What imagine does that bring to mind? Lamb would be an obvious choice, as would leeks, but whisky and wine? Well, Anglesey is also known as Mon, Mam Cymru, or Anglesey, the mother of Wales. This stems from the fertility of its soil and mild climate, and means that Anglesey was considered able to produce sufficient food to provide for the entire population of Wales.

This productivity is reflected in the fact that at Llanbadrig, on the north coast of the island, over 6,000 vines are grown in their own micro-climate, producing grapes for both red and white wines.

On this page, we look at some notable Welsh foods, the majority of which you can expect to find on Anglesey. You should note that there are many variations both in terms of recipes, and even basic ingredients, no doubt based on availability of produce in the days before fridges and freezers.

Anglesey Eggs or Wyau Ynys Mon

Eggs, leeks, potatoes, cheese, breadcrumbs and nutmeg make up this historic Anglesey dish.

Bara Brith

The name roughly translates as 'speckled bread'. Bara brith will be found in almost every eatery on Anglesey. It is a yeast bread, spiced up with dried fruit. Bara brith tastes best when fresh out of the oven, but can be toasted if required. In times past, when the oven would be lit for baking only once a week, the dried fruit would be added to the last mix at a time when the oven was starting to lose its heat.

Welsh Cakes

A very common teatime treat, welsh cakes are cooked in a griddle, or heavy frying pan. Also sometimes known as bakestones.

Lobscows

This is a traditional North Walian stew, and, contrary to popular belief, the name has nothing to do with Liverpool. In fact, its origins appear to be Norwegian. Be that as it may, the principal ingredients are beef, marrow bone, onions, carrots, swedes and potatoes.

Welsh Rarebit

The rarebit emphasises the absence of meat, and rabbit will not be found here. Instead, it is cheese on toast with a difference. The difference is the addition of beer, mustard, egg yolk, and sometimes Worcester sauce, the whole being topped with grilled tomato slices.

Cawl

A soup, or a stew, with ingredients frequently depending on seasonal availability, with lamb and leek being particularly common. At one time, bacon was used instead of the more expensive lamb. Cawl is considered to be better for reheating, and it would frequently be made the day before it was intended to be eaten.

Lavabread (occasionally laverbread)

This is the odd one out, as it is more popular in South Wales. it is seaweed high in vitamins and iodine, and often served with oatmeal and cockles.

Welsh Whisky or Wysgi

Unfortunately, not a product of Anglesey, but still worthy of a mention. The distillery is at Penderyn, in South Wales.

Wine or Gwin

As we mentioned in our introduction, Anglesey has its own vineyard at Llanbadrig, near Cemaes.