Cawl

Cawl is a Welsh dish. In modern Welsh, the word is used for any soup or broth; in English, it refers to a traditional Welsh soup, usually called cawl Cymreig (literally 'Welsh soup') in Welsh. Historically, ingredients tended to vary, but the most common recipes are lamb or beef with leeks, potatoes, swedes, carrots and other seasonal vegetables. Cawl is recognised as a national dish of Wales. With recipes dating back to the fourteenth century and prehistoric culinary roots, cawl is widely considered to be the de facto national dish of Wales. Cawl was traditionally eaten during the winter months in the south-west of Wales. Today, the word is often used to refer to a dish containing lamb and leeks, due to their association with Welsh culture, but historically, it was made with either salted bacon or beef, along with swedes, carrots, and other seasonal vegetables. With the introduction of the potato into Welsh cuisine in the later half of the 18th century, it became a core ingredient in the recipe as well. The meat in the dish was normally cut into medium-sized pieces and simmered with the vegetables in water. The stock was thickened with either oatmeal or flour and was then served, without the meat or vegetables, as a first course. The vegetables and slices of the meat would then be served as a second course. Cawl served as a single course is today the most popular way to serve the meal, which is similar to its North Wales, equivalent lobsgows. Lobsgows differ in that the meat and vegetables were cut into smaller pieces, and the stock was not thickened.

Source: Wikipedia