Welsh Rarebit

Guide Note

The Welsh Rarebit is a bread snack wherein a "roux" (flour and butter) is added to a mixture of cheese and seasoning, then spread on toast. The result is something akin to an open-faced grilled cheese sandwich, although ingredients can include ale, beer and mustard.

Fast Facts

1. Usually made with cheddar
2. Sometimes called "Welsh Rabbit"
3. In 1950s Britain, pizza was known as "Italian Welsh Rarebit"
4. Rumored to cause nightmares in the overindulgent

Though the origin of the Welsh rarebit is unclear, it most likely originated in England or Scotland, not Wales. The name is thought to be an insulting reference to the relative poverty of the Welsh compared to their neighbors—an adaptation from "Welsh Rabbit," with the implication that the Welsh cannot afford to eat rabbit.