National Welsh Rarebit Day

What is National Welsh Rarebit Day, you ask? Perhaps you’ve heard of its alternate name? In case you haven’t figured it out…..it’s Welsh Rabbit. I have had great fun with this bit of research. In fact, I have learned so much about this dish. Full disclosure: I will be the first to admit that while I did not believe it was rabbit meat, I did think that it at least consisted of some sort of meat. If you already know what it is, don’t ruin it for the rest. And don’t judge me for not knowing until I researched it for this post. 😉

Without further adieu, I give you Welsh Rabbit!!!

Are you still not exactly sure what it is? Basically, Welsh Rabbit is a dish of toasted bread with a hot cheese sauce on it. There are many twists that add depth of flavor, but that’s all it really is. Nothing to do with rabbits or any other meat.

History of a name

So this is where the plot thickens or the story just gets plain wonky. The dish came to be sometime before 1725. This is the first record of mention of this dish. You will see that quote below. The name Welsh Rabbit was jocular as it contained no rabbit at all. Later, in 1785, it is said that the name was changed to sound more official and sophisticated. Welsh Rarebit makes a great snack. There is no meaning to the word “rarebit” except when used in reference to the dish.

The first written record of the term Welsh rabbit:

“I did not eat of cold beef, but of Welsh rabbit and stewed cheese.”

John Byron, ‘Literary Remains’ (1725)

“I am not getting into the rarebit versus rabbit argument. Whatever you call it, it is still cheese on toast.”

— Nigel Slater

“Welsh Rabbit is amusing and right. Welsh Rarebit is stupid and wrong.”

H.W. Fowler (1926):

Some funny, yet contemptuous insight

The name Welsh was likely meant in derogatory contempt. The word was used for anything substandard or vulgar to others.

“only people as poor and stupid as the Welsh would eat cheese and call it rabbit”  

Robert Hendrickson, The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, 1997, as quoted in Horn, “Spitten image”

Or

 “the closest thing to rabbit the Welsh could afford was melted cheese on toast”  

Roy Blount Jr., Alphabet Juice, 2009, ISBN 1429960426, s.v. ‘folk etymology

There are many more, but these are at least two fine examples. There are some good recipes out there as I mentioned before. Here is one with a bit more depth than cheese alone or this traditional one.

As always, you can click here for yesterday’s National Day.