Cheesy toast is a classic comfort food, but it’s never accidentally confused with meat. So why is toast with a melted cheese sauce sometimes known as Welsh rabbit, or even Welsh rarebit?
The vegetarian dish with the meaty name probably started as
an insult to the Welsh. Though it’s probably been around longer, the first
recorded reference to cheesy bread came in 1725, with the
rarebit version printed in 1781.
There are many legends as to how this joke originated. "Betty Crocker’s Cookbook" said it was because
Welsh peasants weren’t allowed to hunt the fancy rabbits on English noble
lands, so they substituted cheese on their bread instead of a meaty stew. Other
legends purported it was a dig at how poor the Welsh people were that they
couldn’t afford rabbit. Some say it’s not insulting at all, but rather a nod to
how frugal the Welsh are.
There may be another explanation though. The Welsh are known
for their love of cheese and the name might be an ironic pun, just like Texas caviar (pickled black-eyed peas), Irish apricots (potatoes, of course) and Rocky Mountain oysters (bull testicles).
As for how rabbit became rarebit, that is also a mystery.
Some say it’s to differentiate between meat and cheese. It could also be a
play on the Welsh accent. However it came to be, the term is now widely used by
chefs everywhere to denote this iconic dish.
If you'd like to make it at home, this recipe is quite simple:
There are other variations on Welsh rarebit too. Put an egg on
top and it’s a golden buck. Add tomato and it’s a blushing bunny. An English rabbit
is made from brown bread soaked in red wine with melted cheese on top. Two
slices of bread with melted cheese in the middle is called a grilled cheese sandwich
(you might have heard of this one). However you eat your cheese and toast and
whatever you call it, it’s the most basic yet ultimate of comfort foods.