Cawl is a Welsh stew made with meat and vegetables, commonly lamb or mutton and leeks. It can also be made with other meats and vegetables. Leeks are a common ingredient and have symbolic importance as a national symbol of Wales. Cawl is often made a day or two before serving and can be eaten as a single dish or with cheese or bread.
“Cawl” is a Welsh word for soup or stock. In contemporary English, the name refers specifically to stews originating in Wales and made with meat and vegetables, or in some cases with vegetables only. Today, cawl is often made with lamb or mutton and leeks, although many ingredients are possible. It is somewhat similar to Irish stew, scotch stock and gravy, which are usually made with lamb or mutton.
Lamb and mutton are types of meat from sheep. The meat of a sheep that is less than a year old is called lamb and the meat of an adult sheep is called mutton. Lamb and mutton are common ingredients in traditional Welsh food because much of Welsh agricultural land is used for grazing and sheep are the most commonly kept farm animals in Wales. Although lamb or mutton is most commonly used, cawl can also be made with other meats such as pork, bacon or beef. In fact, historical records suggest that it was originally made mostly with bacon.
The most commonly used vegetable in owl, leek, is a vegetable related to onions and garlic which are grown extensively in Wales. Losses are a frequent ingredient in soups and stews and, like lamb and mutton, are common components of Welsh food. They also have great symbolic importance, because leeks have been a traditional national symbol of Wales for centuries and are commonly associated with St David, the patron saint of Wales.
Other vegetables sometimes used in owl include the close relative of the leek, onion, or other greens such as potatoes, carrots, and celery. Parsnips and turnips can also be used. Cawl can also be made with leeks and beef stock, which is the water that has cooked the meat but contains no meat. This is referred to as cawl porro or cawl cennin. It should not be confused with the similar, but unrelated to the food colcannon, a traditional Irish food made mostly of potatoes and cabbage, although colcannon also sometimes contains leeks.
Cawl is often made a day or two before serving, as this is believed to enhance the flavour. It is usually eaten as a single dish. In some cases, however, after it has been cooked, the liquid broth is first eaten on its own, and the cooked meat and vegetables are then eaten separately as the main course. It is often served alongside cheese or bread.
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