As I bite into a crumbly Pastai Cennin (Leek Pastry), my senses try to make instant judgements of the Welsh life. The pungent aroma of fresh sage intertwines with a moistened eggy pastry to only give way to the crunch, of crispy smoked bacon that infuses into a faint hint of leek and an age old traditional savoury pie fills my hungry stomach. As I sip some tea alongside my many pie nibbles, I see the significance of Leek in Wales. Leek is one of the emblems of Wales, with the daffodil. Although, it baffles me to hear that ‘there are very few dishes in the Welsh repertoire which actually feature it’, I continue with my eating.
Then I scoop into a pale and biscuity meringue coat that lies atop a swollen rice mélange of sweetened thick cream and a hint of spiced nutmeg. Just enough, to complete my happy meal. In Welsh, it’s called Pwdin Reis Mamgu, (Grandmother’s rice Pudding).
I quickly distract myself from the food I’m eating. The vast lands of Welsh culture, the bay area and a quick gaze of the countryside didn’t give me a chance to embrace a culture fully. I did what every other visitor with just two days on hand does. I ate at a local restaurant with a standard menu, visited a few museums and got sucked into scenic Cardiff. I also managed to pick a book on my way back home, to London.
My trip left me unfulfilled; I couldn’t quite hit the bottom of its tradition. As I sat making connections with the food that slowly filled my system. A cookbook, not by a commercially sell-out author but by a person, who holds a significant role in research and documentation in traditional Welsh food. She, Bobby Freeman, also ran the only restaurant in Wales that served traditional food. Yet her tiny book of tradition cost me £1.95 as opposed to the £8 book on cupcakes and macaroons. How we involve ourselves with trends such as food, music or clothing? I do it all the time. But today I did a little different. I went to the grocery store and made myself a traditional Welsh meal and it makes me feel like I’m in Wales, again.
Omonom.
