Caws Pobi

Photo © Rob Jones

Caws Pobi - Toasted cheese.

It’s always very hard to identify the exact moment that an obsession took old.

Perhaps I see something on the TV. Maybe I spot an ingredient in the supermarket. Maybe I fall victim to hypnotic suggestion in the street. Or maybe it’s just the expression of national identity.

I’ve mentioned in an earlier post that Caws Pobi has a long pedigree in Wales, and is it any wonder. It’s just so comforting at any time of day, and any month of the year. It’s certainly been around since the 16th Century. The first mention of Welsh Rarebit isn’t until the 18th.

But let’s just discuss definitions here.

Welsh Rarebit is more than Cheese on Toast. To make it properly, you need to essentially make a cheese sauce flavoured with mustard and stout. That’s then poured like fondue onto toasted bread and then grilled to brown the top.

Caws Pobi is ‘simply’ melted cheese, slathered onto fresh bread.

But I can’t help wondering why Cheese on Toast and variants isn’t a more popular snack on Britain’s high streets, though I have spotted the odd street food van cropping up in my travels. Maybe its time is coming.

My Caws Pobi of choice today … Spinach, Seaweed and Mustard.

Make up a mixture of spinach, grated cheese, chopped Spring Onions, a little mustard and a large spoonful of Laverbread. Season and spread on some toasted sourdough bread. Sprinkle with cheese and grill to brown the top.

Comforting on a cold and wet British Summer’s day.

Oh but think of the fun you could devising different toppings for your Caws Pobi.

R.