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What is Welsh Rarebit?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Welsh rarebit is a traditional British dish which is made by ladling a thick cheese sauce over toast, and then briefly toasting the two together so that the cheese sauce turns thick and bubbling. There are a variety of different ways to make Welsh rarebit; some cooks, for example, skip the sauce step and just broil toast with cheese slices and a splash of Worcestershire or chili sauce, and others make it with crackers. This dish can be eaten at any time, and it makes a popular midnight snack in some households, where a bowl of the rarebit sauce may be kept handy so that the dish can be made quickly.

According to folk legend, Welsh rarebit was originally “Welsh rabbit,” and it was meant to cast aspersions on the Welsh, who allegedly were not very adept at catching rabbits. Over time, “rabbit” became “rarebit,” perhaps spurred by a desire for political correctness, and the dish made its way into the English repertoire from Welsh kitchens.

Boiled eggs are sometimes added to Welsh rarebit.
Boiled eggs are sometimes added to Welsh rarebit.

This dish is most certainly Welsh in origin, with written evidence suggesting that it dates back to at least the 1700s. The Welsh are famously fond of cheese, and they were allegedly among the first to use cheese cooked in various prepared dishes. As a result, some people have suggested that the original name for this dish, “Welsh rabbit,” was meant to be a friendly gibe at the Welsh, who might prefer eating cheese to eating rabbit in some situations.

Basic rarebit sauce can be made quickly on the stovetop.
Basic rarebit sauce can be made quickly on the stovetop.

A basic rarebit sauce is made by melting cheese with milk or cream, adding a dash of beer, and seasoning the mixture before pouring it over toast. Other cooks prefer to start with a roux to give the sauce more body and a toasted flavor, sprinkling in spices like cayenne, mustard, and pepper before adding ale and finally cheese. After a few minutes of slow whisking, the sauce should even and thicken, at which point Worcestershire sauce can be added and then the sauce may be refrigerated for later use, or spread on toast and broiled for a few minutes for the desired bubbly consistency.

Welsh rarebit can be eaten at anytime, so it makes for a great midnight snack.
Welsh rarebit can be eaten at anytime, so it makes for a great midnight snack.

Far from simple cheese on toast, a good plate of Welsh rarebit is savory, spicy, rich, and layered with flavor, and cooks may also add things like grilled tomatoes or boiled eggs to their Welsh rarebit for some extra flavor and body. Most cooks also recommend using really good bread, as the dish can be ruined by spongy, poorly made bread with an indifferent texture.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon324008

I don't think it was "Political Correctness" that caused Purity Canned Foods to sell their product as "Welsh Rarebit" in 1917. It's an alternate name that came out of a bit of mistaken etymology by Francis Grose in his 1785 "Classic Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue". Proper or not, the alternate name also has a history going back centuries, and can legitimately be considered a correct alternate name for the dish.

anon117831

"Folk legend" or not, the dish is and always has been correctly called "Welsh Rabbit." Recipes going back for centuries support this name, and every legitimate linguistic attempt to find a cognate of "rarebit" in the Welsh language have failed.

There has been something of a groundswell in political correctness that has caused some people to change the name, so they will not be thought to be serving and eating rabbit (as if anybody who bothered to look at the dish, much less eat it, would think otherwise).

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    • Boiled eggs are sometimes added to Welsh rarebit.
      By: Natika
      Boiled eggs are sometimes added to Welsh rarebit.
    • Basic rarebit sauce can be made quickly on the stovetop.
      By: Lucky Dragon
      Basic rarebit sauce can be made quickly on the stovetop.
    • Welsh rarebit can be eaten at anytime, so it makes for a great midnight snack.
      By: efired
      Welsh rarebit can be eaten at anytime, so it makes for a great midnight snack.
    • Various types of cheeses can be used to make Welsh rarebit.
      By: yellowj
      Various types of cheeses can be used to make Welsh rarebit.
    • Toast is an ingredient in Welsh rarebit.
      By: Sergii Moscaliuk
      Toast is an ingredient in Welsh rarebit.
    • Ale is a traditional ingredient in Welsh rarebit.
      By: BRAD
      Ale is a traditional ingredient in Welsh rarebit.