March Dilemma

Photo © Rob Jones

I start the month with a terrible dilemma.

It’s Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday … AND … it’s St. David’s Day/Gwyl Dewi Sant.

This cultural collision, which I don’t recall happening before in my 60 years on this planet, although clearly it must have done, has taken over my life, albeit for a day.

This perfect storm I think has come about perhaps because of my greater awareness of food these days, especially during the pandemic. It’s been a welcome go-to, a distraction from matters beyond my control.

In this case it’s made life a little more complicated.

Growing up, I had only a marginal comprehension of St. David’s Day. Yes, I knew it was our (Welsh) national day. But it wasn’t lauded as much as St. Patrick’s, St. Andrew’s or St. George’s Days. Possibly because growing up in Monmouthshire, there was a slight indifference to the concept of being Welsh. We were slightly different. Indeed, I don’t think Monmouthshire was finally and irrevocably included in Wales until the 1972 Local Government reorganisation, which didn’t go down too well in our house. It’s not that we wanted to be English. On the contrary, it was that we wanted to be ourselves, in a vague neither here nor there sort of way. I still feel resistence if people try to categorise me one way or the other - and each try. Many Welsh friends will say ‘ah, but you’re not really Welsh, are you…’ and likewise English friends will sometimes parrot-back what I say in an accent that drifts relentlessly between Swansea, Ronnie Barker on ‘The Navy Lark,’ and the Indian characters in ‘It Aint Half Hot Mum.’

And don’t get me started on National Dress.

OK, since you’ve brought it up … I think most people are aware of the female Welsh National Dress - the tall black hat, the red costume, pinny and black shoes. But what about for men? At primary school the only options were to dress up like Prince Llewellyn or Tom Jones.

But I digress …..

An extensive internet search reveals a definition of Welsh Cakes as:

“Welsh Cakes originate from the country of Wales in Great Britain. The cakes are a cross between a cookie, a scone, and a pancake but they are truly unlike any of these things when it comes to taste and texture.”

Now, as a definition, how helpful is that?

Another description says that Welsh Cakes became popular because they were ‘durable.’ Mainly because they survived being stuffed into coats and taken down the ‘dismal’ coal mines.

Anyhow - you’ll find the recipe covered here.

The story of Pancakes is better known. Certainly the ancient Greeks ate them. Shrove Tuesday took off in about 1100 AD, and was a way to use up dairy products before the start of Lent.

But even here there’s a dilemma. Growing up, it was always pancakes with lemon juice and castor sugar, rolled up. (the first one was always a messy failure, the last one had lovely crispy bits.) In later life I was introduced to Dutch Pancakes, and joy of joys - the American stack of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup.

So here is how my day is panning out (no pun intended)

Breakfast - Pancakes with Bacon and Syrup.

Brunch - A Welsh Cake with my morning coffee.

Lunch - Pancakes with a savoury cheese filling.

Afternoon Tea - Welsh Cakes with jam and cream.

Dinner - Pancakes in the mode of a ‘Galette Florentine’ - served with spinach, mushrooms, cheeses and an egg.

Supper - Welsh Cakes actually go well with a glass of Red Wine… settle down to watch Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, The Welsh Rugby Team, a Male Voice Choir etc., on the tele.

A good day was had by all.

R (in National Dress).