Food - Drink
What Is Welsh Rarebit And Is It Vegetarian?
By HOPE NGO
Rarebit is as Welsh as it gets, but there are those that say the dish’s name has its roots in an English insult that described the meal as "Welsh rabbit" to imply their neighbors were so poor they couldn't afford rabbit, which was a very cheap cut of meat. And while it might have started out as an insult, the name hung around until it was re-dubbed "rarebit" in a cookbook published years later.
It’s also easy to think that Welsh rarebit is a variation of British cheese and toast, but because its roux needs butter and flour, and it gets its flavor from mustard powder, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, it is its own unique dish. The other ingredients that are also included in Welsh rarebit are strong dark beer and hard cheeses like English cheddar and double Gloucester.
Based on its ingredients, Welsh rarebit might seem like a great vegetarian option, but because of the addition of Worcestershire sauce, which is made with anchovy, it sadly isn’t. However, one way to make this dish vegetarian would be to swap out the Worcestershire sauce for mushroom ketchup.