rarebit

Aug. 9th, 2011 12:49 am
[identity profile] ersatz-read.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] 1word1day
rarebit, noun.  rabbit, as in Welsh rabbit, a dish commonly containing cheddar cheese, beer, and seasonings, served over toast.  Welsh rabbit contains no rabbit.

The first recorded use of the term "Welsh rabbit" was in 1725; the first recorded use of the term "Welsh rarebit" was in 1785, in Francis Grose's book A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.  The assumption by Grose is that "rarebit" is a corruption of the word "rabbit".

The origin of the initial "rabbit" term is also obscure.  There is a theory that "Welsh rabbit" was a reference to the idea that Welsh people were too poor to afford meat, so they ate cheese instead.

There are many variations:  English rabbit, Irish rabbit, Scotch rabbit, etc.  When topped with a poached egg it's called a "golden buck".

The word "rarebit" seems to exist solely as a variant of "rabbit", for this dish alone.

(no subject)

Date: 2011-08-09 01:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] miss-daizy.livejournal.com
It's also magically delicious!
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