Cuisine of Carmarthenshire
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Known as ''The Garden of Wales'', Retrieved 7 August 2010
Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...
is a county of rich, fertile farmland and productive seas and estuaries, that give it a range of foods that motivate many home cooks and restaurateurs.Pressdee, C., ‘Colin Pressdee's Welsh Coastal Cookery, BBC Books, 1995, There is a local tradition in
brewing Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley) in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer ...
, milling, gathering
shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environ ...
from the coasts and meat production. Carmarthenshire has been described by ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'' as a "worthwhile destination for foodies" with the county having ''a modest matter of fact excellence''. Carmarthenshire has ambitions to become the premier food-producing county of
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, based on its strong reputation for first-class products. Retrieved 7 August 2010 and
Carmarthenshire County Council Carmarthenshire County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin) is the local authority for the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It provides a range of services including education, planning, transport, social services and public safety. The coun ...
produces its own on-line and hard-copy recipe book called ''Taste from Carmarthenshire'', for those interested in learning more about the county's cuisine.


Markets

Agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
is an important industry in Carmarthenshire, and most people visit the busy
market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...
towns throughout the county. Each market operates a
livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to ani ...
sale on different days.
Llanybydder Llanybydder (, sometimes formerly spelt ''Llanybyther'') is a market town and community straddling the River Teifi in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. At the 2011 Census, the population of the community was 1638, an increase from 1423 at the 2001 ...
has a normal mart held on Mondays, and a monthly horse sale on the last Thursday of the month.
Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
is the county town, and has a full market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but many stalls are permanent and open every day. The market is important for those wanting to purchase fresh local foods.Davies, G., “A Taste of Wales”, Pavilion Books Limited, 1995, Carmarthen Market is now at the heart of the £74m St Catherine's Walk redevelopment scheme, which was completed in 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2010 Carmarthen has been described as an authentic market town worth a second look.
Llanelli Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carma ...
market is another busy county market, with more than 50 family run businesses. The farming year includes
agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...
s held at the show ground of the United Counties Agricultural and Hunters Society at Nantyci, Carmarthen which often includes exhibits of local produce.


Meat

Carmarthenshire's undulating land is prime
dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
and
mixed farming Mixed farming is a type of farming which involves both the growing of crops and the raising of livestock. Such agriculture occurs across Asia and in countries such as India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Afghanistan, South Africa, China, Central Europe, Can ...
country, with
lamb Lamb or The Lamb may refer to: * A young sheep * Lamb and mutton, the meat of sheep Arts and media Film, television, and theatre * ''The Lamb'' (1915 film), a silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in his screen debut * ''The Lamb'' (1918 ...
and
beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantit ...
both important. In his 1726 pastoral poem "
Grongar Hill Grongar Hill is located in the Welsh county of Carmarthenshire and was the subject of a loco-descriptive poem by John Dyer. Published in two versions in 1726, during the Augustan period, its celebration of the individual experience of the lands ...
" the poet
John Dyer John Dyer (1699 – 15 December 1757) was a painter and Welsh poet who became a priest in the Church of England.Shaw, Thomas B. ''A Complete Manual of English Literature''. Ed. William Smith. New York: Sheldon & Co., 1872. 372. Print. He was m ...
refers to the valley of the
River Towy The River Towy ( cy, Afon Tywi, ) is one of the longest rivers flowing entirely within Wales. Its total length is . It is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing. Route The Towy rises within of the source of the River Teifi on the lower s ...
as follows:
Old
castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...
on the cliffs arise, Proudly tow’ring in the skies! Rushing from the woods, the spires Seem from hence ascending fires! Half his beams
Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...
sheds On the yellow mountain-heads! Gilds the fleeces of the flocks: And glitters on the broken rocks!
Pressdee notes that a number of farms specialise in beef production from a range of British and Continental breeds, with Welsh Black becoming more popular, as in other Welsh regions, over recent years.Pressdee, C., ‘Food Wales, A Second Helping, Graffeg pub., 2005, Several organic farms have made an impact in the county, including ''Fferm Tyllwyd'' located at Felingwm Uchaf, producing organic Welsh Black beef steaks.Organic Centre Wales, “Local Organic, Where to buy fresh, local organic food and drink in Wales 2008-9”, sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government Welsh Black beef is matured for 21 days at SJ & S Baker, located at
Pontyberem Pontyberem () is a village and community situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. As of the 2001 Census, the population was recorded as 2,829, reducing to 2,768 at the 2011 Census. Th ...
. ''The May Organic Farms'' at
Lampeter Lampeter (; cy, Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); ''Llambed'' (colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigio ...
offer organic
highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally speaking, upland (or uplands) refers to ranges of hills, typically from up to while highland (or highlands) is ...
beef, Welsh mountain lamb and mutton reared on 100 hectares of conservation land. Welsh Black beef is a speciality of ''Cig Calon Cymru'' at
Cross Hands Cross Hands is a town in Carmarthenshire, Wales, approximately from Carmarthen. Cross Hands Public Hall is one of only three of its kind in Wales. The Public Hall was erected in 1920 and designed by an unknown Italian designer in the classic A ...
, where they have a state-of-the-art butchery linked to their own abattoir and farms. ''Dewi Roberts'' of
Ffairfach Ffairfach is a village south of the market town of Llandeilo in the eastern part of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located close to the confluence of the Afon Cennen and the River Towy. Population is 516 according to 2017 census. Etymology The ...
,
Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...
has his own premium range, which is connected with all the local farmers and draws customers from a wide area, and from internet sales. Another quality supplier is ''
Cambrian The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million years ago ...
Organics'' of
Llandysul Llandysul is a small town and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen and the village of Llandysul itself. Llandysul lies in sout ...
. ''Ystrad Traditional Organics'' based in
Brechfa Brechfa, situated between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, is a village that has existed since the 6th century at the top of the Cothi Valley. Brechfa village is set in countryside, as well as being located by t ...
, produces lamb, hogget, mutton and beef from some of Britain's rarest breeds and was a ''True Taste of Wales'' award winner in 2007 Pigs are part of the mixed farming economy. Traditionally every farm kept a
Welsh pig The Welsh is a breed of domestic pig native to Wales. It is a large white breed known for its hardiness in outdoor (extensive) farming, its long, pear-shaped body and its lop-ears. The breed was first mentioned in the 1870s, and after the How ...
as part of the staple diet. During the winter, the main source of meat was cured
ham Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...
and
bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...
from pigs raised on the farm. Hams were cured in the large chimneys of farm kitchens, which slowly dried the ham and bacon after it had been salted. This tradition has largely died out, but the remaining producers make hams which are similar to
Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine r ...
, Serrano, or
Parma ham ''Prosciutto crudo'', in English often shortened to prosciutto ( , ), is Italian uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. ''Prosciutto crudo'' is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crudo ...
s. Freshly cured ham is sliced for grilling, older ham is boiled as a
York ham York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...
, and ham cured for many months is sliced wafer thin, like Parma ham. Carmarthen ham has a similar farmyard flavour. The hocks have the greatest flavour, and need to be boiled a long time to soften the meat. They make a good base for winter
stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables a ...
, or a summer ‘paysanne’ salad. Dry-cured Carmarthen Ham can be found at Carmarthen Market. Five generations of the Rees family have sold ham here spanning 200 years. and their family were the first commercial producers of dry-cured ham in Britain. Carmarthen Ham is dry salt-cured and then air dried and sold whole boneless, or sliced thinly and vacuum packed. It is believed that when the
Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
settled in Carmarthen they acquired the recipe and on their return to Italy called it Parma Ham. The ham is cut in thin wafers and is served like
prosciutto ''Prosciutto crudo'', in English often shortened to prosciutto ( , ), is Italian uncooked, unsmoked, and dry-cured ham. ''Prosciutto crudo'' is usually served thinly sliced. Several regions in Italy have their own variations of ''prosciutto crud ...
or Parma ham, but is saltier. Carmarthen Ham production remains a
cottage industry The putting-out system is a means of subcontracting work. Historically, it was also known as the workshop system and the domestic system. In putting-out, work is contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who complete the project via remote ...
, in order to keep it a premium product. Carmarthen Ham is a particular favourite of the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rule ...
. The Rees family also produce a short back and streaky bacon. This is dry-cured for one week and hung for a further three weeks. It is recommended that the bacon is blanched before frying to remove any excess salt. The Rees family have more than 80 hams curing at any one time, Retrieved 8 August 2010 and it takes nine months to cure they also have a mail order business and travel to the nearby markets of
Brecon Brecon (; cy, Aberhonddu; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the c ...
,
Fishguard Fishguard ( cy, Abergwaun, meaning "Mouth of the River Gwaun") is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with a population of 3,419 in 2011; the community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5,407. Modern Fishguard consists of two p ...
,
Haverfordwest Haverfordwest (, ; cy, Hwlffordd ) is the county town of Pembrokeshire, Wales, and the most populous urban area in Pembrokeshire with a population of 14,596 in 2011. It is also a community, being the second most populous community in the county, ...
, Pembroke and Cardigan. Recipes for Carmarthen ham include: ''Country Ham with Vegetable Stew''; ''Pancakes stuffed with Carmarthen Ham and Wild Mushrooms with a Savoury Custard''; ''Salad Paysanne with Carmarthen Ham and Lentils'', and ''Carmarthen Ham in Beer'' Carmarthenshire Ham has featured on Rick Stein's ''Food Heroes'' The Welsh chef Dudley recommends the recipe ''Pork Wrapped in Carmarthenshire Ham'' Retrieved 8 August 2010 At the Royal Welsh Show 2010, Carmarthenshire Ham was included in the new European Protected Food names initiative for Protective Geographical Indication (PGI) status, which would give
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
legal status to Carmarthenshire Ham. Carmarthen Market also sells home-made brawn,
sausages A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs may be included as fillers or extenders. W ...
, pork pies, and faggots. Faggots can be bought at Ettie Richardson's Home Baking stall, which sells them fresh every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. A & G Williams of
Felinfoel Felinfoel (pronounced ) is a small village and electoral ward on the River Lliedi on the northern border of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, with a population of about 2,000. The Felinfoel Brewery, home of Double Dragon Ale, is the oldest ...
produce traditional Welsh faggots and other savoury products. Brawn is a traditional Carmarthenshire dish, and one Carmarthenshire recipe includes pig's head and trotters which are rubbed well with salt and then placed in a crock and left for 2 or 3 days. The meat is then washed in cold water, placed in a boiler pan, brought to the boil and then simmered for 3–4 hours until the meat leaves the bone. The meat is then minced with onions, sage and pepper and then, the liquor strained, and then the mixture simmered for about 15 minutes and then left to cool.Freeman, B., "Traditional Food From Wales", Hippocrene Books, 1997, ''Fets y Cybydd'', or the ''Miser's Feast'', was a very popular dish in Carmarthenshire 100 years ago. It was made in a saucepan, but can also be made in a
casserole A casserole (French: diminutive of , from Provençal 'pan') is a normally large deep pan or bowl a casserole is anything in a casserole pan. Hot or cold History Baked dishes have existed for thousands of years. Early casserole recipes c ...
. The bottom of the dish is covered in peeled potatoes, and a sliced onion, with a little salt, covered with water and then brought to the boil. When the water is boiling, a few slices of bacon or a piece of ham are placed on top. The lid is replaced and the whole simmered until the potatoes are cooked, and the water absorbed. The miser was supposed to eat the potatoes one day, mashed up in the liquid, keeping the slices of bacon to be eaten out the next day with plain boiled potatoes.Anon., Croeso Cymreig, a Welsh Welcome: Recipes for some Traditional Welsh Dishes’, John Jones Publishing Ltd., 1979, The poet
Lynette Roberts Evelyn ('Lynette') Beatrice Roberts (4 July 1909 – 26 September 1995) was a Welsh poet and novelist. Her poems were about war, landscape, and life in the small Welsh village where she lived. She published two poetry collections: ''Poems'' ( ...
, who spent her final years from 1989 in
Ferryside Ferryside ( cy, Glan-y-fferi) is a village in the community of St Ishmael, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is south of Carmarthen near the mouth of the River Tywi. Originally a ferry crossing, then becoming a fishing village, it has developed as a ...
and is buried in the churchyard in
Llanybri Llanybri is a rural farming village situated near the estuary of the River Tywi in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The parish of Llansteffan consists of two distinct villages with separate churches: Llansteffan by the estuary and Llanybri inland on the ...
, wrote about making cawl in her ''Poem from Llanybri'' (1946), as follows:
''In the village when you come. At noon-day'' ''I will offer you a choice bowl of cawl'' ''Served with a 'lover's' spoon and a chopped spray'' ''Of
leek The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek ( syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus '' Al ...
s or savori fach...''
Gilli Davies notes that:
..it is not so long ago that almost every meal in rural Wales included cawl in some form or other. Fresh herbs, often winter savory, was grown near the back door so that it could easily be picked and added to the cawl. Only salted meat would have been available, and
oatmeal Oatmeal is a preparation of oats that have been de-husked, steamed, and flattened, or a coarse flour of hulled oat grains (groats) that have either been milled (ground) or steel-cut. Ground oats are also called white oats. Steel-cut oats a ...
, mixed with a little water and stirred in, was added to the cawl to make it go further. Sometimes cooked
oatcake An oatcake is a type of flatbread similar to a cracker or biscuit, or in some versions takes the form of a pancake. They are prepared with oatmeal as the primary ingredient, and sometimes include plain or wholemeal flour as well. Oatcake ...
s were crushed and added to a bowl of cawl that had been reheated three or four times, and served at breakfast time. In cold weather cawl would be followed by apple or plain
dumpling Dumpling is a broad class of dishes that consist of pieces of dough (made from a variety of starch sources), oftentimes wrapped around a filling. The dough can be based on bread, flour, buckwheat or potatoes, and may be filled with meat, ...
s, made by mixing flour with a spoonful of cawl to make a thick paste. The paste was then spread around an unskinned apple and left to simmer on top of the soup.Davies, G., ‘The Very Best Flavours of Wales, p12, Gomer Press, 1997,
The Marketing and Tourism department of
Carmarthenshire County Council Carmarthenshire County Council ( cy, Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin) is the local authority for the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It provides a range of services including education, planning, transport, social services and public safety. The coun ...
has developed a ''Cawl Crawl'', this is a themed route that people can follow and includes establishments in Carmarthenshire that make their own individual variations on the traditional cawl dish.


Fish

Carmarthen Bay Carmarthen Bay ( cy, Bae Caerfyrddin) is an inlet of the South Wales coast, including notable beaches such as Pendine Sands and Cefn Sidan sands. Carmarthen Bay is partially within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Joint Nature Conserva ...
sweeps from
Gower Gower ( cy, Gŵyr) or the Gower Peninsula () in southwest Wales, projects towards the Bristol Channel. It is the most westerly part of the historic county of Glamorgan. In 1956, the majority of Gower became the first area in the United Kingdom ...
to
Tenby Tenby ( cy, Dinbych-y-pysgod, lit=fortlet of the fish) is both a walled seaside town in Pembrokeshire, Wales, on the western side of Carmarthen Bay, and a local government community. Notable features include of sandy beaches and the Pembroke ...
and is the delta for the Carmarthenshire rivers which have excellent fishing: the rivers
Towy The River Towy ( cy, Afon Tywi, ) is one of the longest rivers flowing entirely within Wales. Its total length is . It is noted for its sea trout and salmon fishing. Route The Towy rises within of the source of the River Teifi on the lower slo ...
,
Teifi , name_etymology = , image = File:Llyn Teifi - geograph.org.uk - 41773.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Llyn Teifi, the source of the Teifi , map = , map_size = , map_caption ...
,
Afon Cothi The Afon Cothi ( en, River Cothy) is the largest tributary of the River Tywi in south Wales. It is noted for its trout and sea trout (sewin) fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from th ...
and Taf. The ancient craft of
coracle A coracle is a small, rounded, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Wales, and also in parts of the West Country and in Ireland, particularly the River Boyne, and in Scotland, particularly the River Spey. The word is also used of ...
fishing can still be seen on the river Teifi, especially between
Cenarth Cenarth () is a village, parish and community in Carmarthenshire, on the border between Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, and close to the border with Pembrokeshire, Wales. It stands on the banks of the River Teifi, east of Cardigan and west o ...
and
Cilgerran Cilgerran (previously Kilgerran or Cil-Garon) is both a village, a parish, and also a community, situated on the south bank of the River Teifi in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was formerly an incorporated market town. Among Cilgerran's attractio ...
, and on the river Towy near Carmarthen.
Sewin Sea trout is the common name usually applied to anadromous (sea-run) forms of brown trout (''Salmo trutta''), and is often referred to as ''Salmo trutta'' morpha ''trutta''. Other names for anadromous brown trout are sewin (Wales), peel or peal ...
is known as ''the prince of Welsh fish''. They feed more locally than
salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...
and hence are more distinctive from region to region, with a pale, pinky flesh and a high oil content. The season begins around Easter and ends in the summer, with the largest fish having the earliest run up the rivers. Sewin range in size from less than a pound in weight to 3 lbs, known as ''shiglin'' (the smallest) and ''twlpin'' (the larger) in late July and August, to fully grown fish known as ''gwencin'', which equal a salmon in size and come in May or June (or earlier), and again in September. Large sewin can be distinguished from salmon by the tail: the tail is more deeply indented, the colour is browny-grey instead of blue-grey, and the body is slimmer near the tail. Welsh anglers claim that the Tywi yields more sewin over 10 lbs than every sea-trout river in England and Scotland put together. ''Raymond Rees'', at Carmarthen Market, has iced fish slabs with fresh fish from the coast and the Towy river. He specialises in sewin. He also has one of the few licenses to fish with a coracle on the Towy. This is the longest river entirely within the county. Sewin has a more delicate flavour than salmon and is best cooked simply: grilled or baked gently with plenty of salty ''Welsh butter''. The butter on the hot flesh brings out the flavour, and the rough texture of locally baked brown bread contrasts well with the smooth flesh of sewin. To tell if a whole sewin is of good flavour, the colour of the flesh should be examined by requesting the fishmonger to make a tiny incision with a knifepoint in the middle of the back of the fish. The flesh should be a clear pink, not a pale or fawny pink, which suggests that the fish has been in the river too long. Big sewin can grow out of their taste and become flavourless, these fish are better stuffed. If a sauce is used, then
fennel Fennel (''Foeniculum vulgare'') is a flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. It is indigenous to the shores of the Mediterranean but has become widely naturalized ...
is the best herb to add, and grows wild along the west coast of Wales; an alternative is a
cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.samphire Samphire is a name given to a number of succulent salt-tolerant plants ( halophytes) that tend to be associated with water bodies. *Rock samphire, ''Crithmum maritimum'' is a coastal species with white flowers that grows in Ireland, the Uni ...
which grows on the
Loughor estuary The River Loughor () ( cy, Afon Llwchwr) is a river in Wales which marks the border between Carmarthenshire and Swansea. The river is sourced from an underground lake at the Black Mountain emerging at the surface from Llygad Llwchwr which tra ...
.


Sea food

Mussels Mussel () is the common name used for members of several families of bivalve molluscs, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which ...
are gathered by hand from Carmarthen Bay and are best in the winter time, when there is an ‘R’ in the month. September to April is the traditional mussel (and oyster) season. Cockles are gathered in the Burry Inlet, but mainly on the Gower side (see
Cuisine of Gower The cuisine of Gower, a peninsula in south Wales, is based on ingredients grown, raised or collected on or around the peninsula. The cuisine is based on fresh ingredients with recipes based around a fish or meat dish. Until the twentieth century, ...
). However, Les Parsons, a native
Laugharne Laugharne ( cy, Talacharn) is a town on the south coast of Carmarthenshire, Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Tâf. The ancient borough of Laugharne Township ( cy, Treflan Lacharn) with its Corporation and Charter is a unique survival ...
, started his own shellfish business on the Carmarthenshire side of the estuary after returning home from military service in India in 1947. This was around the time that
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Und ...
was resident, and writing about ''the web-footed cocklewomen of Laugharne''. Les Parson experimented with bottling cockles in vinegar, to enable them to be sold further afield, and established ''Parson's Pickles''. The firm uses
Laugharne Castle Laugharne Castle ( cy, Castell Talacharn) is in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The castle, located on the estuary of the River Tâf, was originally established in 1116. It was rebuilt as a Norman stronghold. There have been many alterations ...
as part of its
corporate identity A corporate identity or corporate image is the manner in which a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public (such as customers and investors as well as employees). The corporate identity is typically visualized by ...
because the original factory was located in a mill close to the castle. The company now operates out of Burry Port and produces cockles, mussels, shellfish and pickles, to traditional recipes and European Union accreditation standards.


Vegetables and fruit

Vegetables and fruit are grown in gardens and alltoments and Lynette Roberts describes the Carmarthenshire cottage garden as follows:
"In most gardens here two-thirds are taken up with potato seed, with a row shovelled up for broad beans, cabbage and parsley, and a small finer bed about 3ft by 4ft containing lettuce, carrot, leeks, shallots, beetroot and perhaps a little cress and radish. This makes a cottager independent as he seldom requires any other choice of vegetable."
In ''
Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, commissioned by the BBC and later adapted for the stage. A film version, ''Under Milk Wood'' directed by Andrew Sinclair, was released in 1972, and another adaptation of ...
'',
Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas (27 October 1914 – 9 November 1953) was a Welsh poet and writer whose works include the poems " Do not go gentle into that good night" and " And death shall have no dominion", as well as the "play for voices" ''Und ...
writes about ''Mary Ann the Sailors'' and her cottage garden as follows, comparing it with the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan- Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the biblical paradise described in Genesis 2-3 and Ezekiel 28 ...
:
"The Garden of Eden. ''She comes in her smock-frock and clogs'' ''Away from the cool scrubbed cobbled kitchen with the Sunday-school pictures on the whitewashed wall and the
farmers' almanac ''Farmers' Almanac'' is an annual American periodical that has been in continuous publication since 1818. Published by Geiger of Lewiston, Maine, the ''Farmers' Almanac'' provides long-range weather predictions for both the U.S. and Canada. The ...
hung above the
settle Settle or SETTLE may refer to: Places * Settle, Kentucky, United States * Settle, North Yorkshire, a town in England ** Settle Rural District, a historical administrative district Music * Settle (band), an indie rock band from Pennsylvania * ''S ...
and the sides of bacon on the ceiling hooks, and goes down the cockleshelled paths of that applepie kitchen garden, ducking under the gippo's clothespegs, catching her apron on the blackcurrant bushes, past beanrows and onion-bed and tomatoes ripening on the wall towards the old man playing the harmonium in the orchard, and sits down on the grass at his side and shells the green peas that grow up through the lap of her frock that brushes the dew.''"
In describing the
walled garden A walled garden is a garden enclosed by high walls, especially when this is done for horticultural rather than security purposes, although originally all gardens may have been enclosed for protection from animal or human intruders. In temperate ...
at Heolddu, Margaret Evans recalled that the cottage garden was once considered to be a 'chemist shop" with vegetables, greens and fruit grown to keep the family healthy. Vegetables that could be stored and eaten during the winter included leeks, parsley, cabbage, swedes, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, and nuts. Walled kitchen gardens were usually constructed for larger Carmarthenshire houses and here fruit, flowers and vegetables would be grown. The walls gave privacy and protected the plants from the frost and often included greenhouses for tender plants. In Carmarthenshire most of these gardens date from the nineteenth century and were stocked with plants bought as seeds from English seed catalogues. Orders would be delivered by train or
mail coach A mail coach is a stagecoach that is used to deliver mail. In Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia, they were built to a General Post Office-approved design operated by an independent contractor to carry long-distance mail for the Post Office. M ...
. In this way popular English
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
s of fruit and vegetables were introduced into the county. However, by the 1800s Carmarthenshire had its own
plant nurseries A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to a desired size. Mostly the plants concerned are for gardening, forestry or conservation biology, rather than agriculture. They include retail nurseries, which sell to the general p ...
. After
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, most of these gardens were abandoned but Aberglasney and Middleton (at the
National Botanic Garden of Wales The National Botanic Garden of Wales ( cy, Gardd Fotaneg Genedlaethol Cymru) is a botanical garden located in Llanarthney in the River Tywi valley, Carmarthenshire, Wales. The garden is both a visitor attraction and a centre for botanical r ...
), have been rescued and replanted and are now open to the public, with plans to do the same with the garden at
Abergwili Abergwili () is a village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, near the confluence of the rivers Towy and Gwili, close to the town of Carmarthen. It is also an electoral ward. The community includes the settlements of Peniel, Llanfihangel-u ...
. Families without a garden would often grow fruit and vegetables on an
allotment Allotment may refer to: * Allotment (Dawes Act), an area of land held by the US Government for the benefit of an individual Native American, under the Dawes Act of 1887 * Allotment (finance), a method by which a company allocates over-subscribed ...
. Holland notes that the allotment movement began as a means of feeding the poor and reducing the
poor rate In England and Wales the poor rate was a tax on property levied in each parish, which was used to provide poor relief. It was collected under both the Old Poor Law and the New Poor Law. It was absorbed into 'general rate' local taxation in the ...
in agricultural districts, but that today they are a means of improving mental and physical health. He notes that this century they have become popular as a result of the
organic movement The organic movement broadly refers to the organizations and individuals involved worldwide in the promotion of organic food and other organic products. It started during the first half of the 20th century, when modern large-scale agricultural pr ...
. The
National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
created 60 allotments in
Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the ...
in 2009, and community allotments were opened at
Llannon Llannon is a small village, community and electoral ward in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is located on the A476 road south east of the county town, Carmarthen, between Tumble and Swiss Valley. The community of Llannon, contains ...
in 2012. In 2011, Carmarthenshire County Council Policy & Resources Scrutiny Committee noted that concerns regarding food origin and quality, coupled with the current financial pressures, are some of the main causes for increasing demand for allotments and that the council wished to identify suitable plots of land for new allotments. Garden vegetables would be used to make cawl, this would be made with just vegetables or meat would be added. In Carmarthenshire, a vegetable cawl is called ''Cawl pen lletwad'', and this was usually prepared when meat was in short supply. Tibbott has a note of such a cawl from Cwm-bach. Sometimes a cawl would need to be prepared quickly, and in this case the vegetables (and meat if added) would be cut into small pieces and boiled together. This type of cawl is known as ''Cawl ffwt a berw'' and Tibbott records such a recipe from
Trelech Trelech ( Welsh: ''Tre-lech'') is a village in the parish of Tre-lech a'r Betws, Carmarthenshire, in south-west Wales. It is also the name of the community. Trelech is located some 10 miles north-west of Carmarthen and 6.5 miles south of Newcast ...
. Potatoes were a staple garden vegetable and would be roasted or boiled. One example of a potato dish which Tibbott has recorded is called ''Cig ar wyneb tato'', this is a dish of roast potatoes (''Tato Rhost'') where the potatoes are part boiled in a heavy saucepan and then covered with bacon rashers, with a thick layer of chopped onions or chives placed on top. The pan is covered with a closely fitting lid and cooked with a little water for half an hour, so that the bacon fat browns the potatoes at the bottom of the pan. On churning day the dish would be served with
buttermilk Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink. Traditionally, it was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. As most modern butter in western countries is not made with cultured cream but uncultured sweet cream, most m ...
(''Tato rhost a llaeth enwyn''). The meal is cooked without the need for much supervision and was usually made in a ''ffwrn fach'' over an open fire. Apples were an important food source for local people and this can be seen in the many farms in the county that include the word ''perllan'' (orchard) or ''afallen'' (apple tree) in the name of the farm. In the book ''Hen Dy Fferm'' (''The Old Farmhouse'') (1961) the author, D J Williams, mentions three varieties of apple grown locally at that time: ''Afal Vicar'', ''Afal Bwen Bach'' and ''Marged Niclas'', with only ''Marged Niclas'' having been rediscovered. At Maesquarre, John Lewis Williams (1853-1919) grew two varieties which have since been lost: an oblong apple known as ''Twil Dyn Gwydd'' (''Gander's Backside'') and ''Afal Melys Bach'' (''Small Sweet Apple''). Another lost variety is ''Pren Miles'' which is referred to in a notebook from Llandeilo from the twentieth century. Large estates would buy seed from catalogues produced by English nurseries and would therefore plant standard English varieties but the smaller land holders would plant varieties of traditional
Welsh apples ''The Cambrian Journal'' (Vol. 111, 1858) contains a list of names for about 200 Welsh apples, the majority of which were from the Monmouth area. In 1999 a single apple tree was identified by Ian Sturrock on Bardsey Island (located at the end of ...
. When an imported variety failed, usually due to the wetter Welsh climate, a local variety would be substituted instead. Paul Davies, of Dolauhirion nursery near Llandeilo, who helped rescue Welsh apple varieties refers to a large
orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of ...
of 100 trees near
Llanwrda Llanwrda () is both a village and a community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, southwest of Llandovery. It lies on the River Towy. The population in 2011 was 514. Transport and other features The village is served by Llanwrda railway station. ...
planted in the 1920s from English types, but where a more hardy local variety, known as ''Marged Niclas'', had been substituted in place of failed imported varieties. He notes that the benefit of Welsh apple varieties is that they can be planted directly into the ground without the need for grafting (known as
burrknot Burrknot is a tree disorder caused by the formation of adventitious root primordia. Although previously classified as disease, is now classified as a disorder, as it is no longer believed to be pathogenic. First looks like a smooth orange bulge gr ...
). ''Morgan Nicholas'' was a popular apple variety that could be stored and eaten until May when the
gooseberry Gooseberry ( or (American and northern British) or (southern British)) is a common name for many species of '' Ribes'' (which also includes currants), as well as a large number of plants of similar appearance. The berries of those in the gen ...
crop was available for pie making. Other apple varieties from Carmarthenshire include ''Glansevin'', ''Talgarth'', ''Gelli Aur'' and ''Tinyrwydd''. The National Botanic Garden of Wales has established an orchard of native apple trees and on 21 November 2017 was awarded National Plant Collection status for its orchard of Welsh varieties. Graves notes that
John Speed John Speed (1551 or 1552 – 28 July 1629) was an English cartographer, chronologer and historian of Cheshire origins.S. Bendall, 'Speed, John (1551/2–1629), historian and cartographer', ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (OUP 2004/ ...
's map of
Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
shows the town walls filled with orchards while a 1905 map of the Tywi valley shows 150 separate orchards between Llandeilo and Llandovery. Davies recounts that one local lady would be taken by her mother to the Tywi valley every spring to see the valley which would be white with apple blossom Apples were also used for medicinal purposes with the ''Physicians of
Myddfai Myddfai () is a small village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is situated south of Llandovery in the Brecon Beacons, and has a population of 415, decreasing to 398 at the 2011 census. The village is a popular tourist destination on ...
'' prescribing them for ague (intermittent
fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...
),
jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving abnormal heme meta ...
, and eye water. The orchards at
Dryslwyn Castle Dryslwyn Castle ( cy, Castell y Drysllwyn) is a native Welsh castle, sited on a rocky hill roughly halfway between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in Wales. It stands on high ground overlooking the Tywi Valley with extensive views. It was built in abou ...
were well enough known to be recited in a poem by
Lewis Glyn Cothi Lewys Glyn Cothi (c. 1420 – 1490), also known as Llywelyn y Glyn, was a prominent 15th century Welsh poet who composed numerous poems in the Welsh language. He is one of the most important representatives of the ''Beirdd yr Uchelwyr'' ("Poets of ...
:Graves, ''Apples of Wales'', page 31.
''Iddaw fo mae neuadd falch'' ''Ac yn wengaer gan wyngalch,'' ''Ac o gylch ogylch i hon,'' ''Naw o arddau yn wyrddion,'' ''Perllanwydd a gwinwydd gwyr,'' ''Derw ieuainc hyd yr awyr.'' He holds a proud hall And a white fort, whitewashed And all around Nine gardens green Great orchards and vines Young oaks touching the sky


Cheese

''The Farmhouse Cheese Shop'', run by John and Patrice Savage-Ontswedder, can be found in Carmarthen Market. They have their own range of ''Teifi Cheeses'' and ''Glynhynod
Caerphilly Caerphilly (, ; cy, Caerffili, ) is a town and community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley. It is north of Cardiff and northwest of Newport. It is the largest town in Caerphilly County Borough, and lies wi ...
'', together with almost all the other cheeses made in West Wales. ''Teifi Cheese'' is an organic vegetarian cow's milk cheese with a bright yellow interior and sweet fruity flavour when young. As it ages, the cheese becomes hard and flaky. It is similar to
Gouda cheese Gouda (, , ; nl, Goudse kaas, "cheese from Gouda") is a sweet, creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar ...
and can be eaten on its own, or used in recipes where it adds richness and depth. The flavour is influenced by the grasses growing in the Teifi valley. Savage-Ontswedder also produce ''Celtic Promise'', a modern vegetarian surface-ripened cow's milk cheese with a semi-soft texture and a moist orange-red rind with a dusting of mould. It is washed in
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...
brine during ripening and is creamy, rich and yellow with a pungent aroma and piquant taste. This cheese, together with another of their cheeses, known as ''Saval'' have been champions at the
British Cheese Awards British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
. ''Celtic Promise'' complements cider, ale and medium-bodied wines. ''Llanboidy Cheese'' was made on an organic farm near
Llanboidy Llanboidy is a village and community in the principal area and historic county of Carmarthenshire, West Wales. The community includes the village of Llanglydwen. Location According to the 2001 United Kingdom Census, the community had a popula ...
, it was the only cheese in Europe made from the milk of
Red Poll The Red Poll is a dual-purpose breed of cattle developed in England in the latter half of the 19th century. The Red Poll is a cross of the Norfolk Red beef cattle and Suffolk Dun dairy cattle breeds. Description and uses The cattle are red, p ...
cows, a rare pedigree breed grazing traditional pastures and drinking from the farm well. This gave the cheese a fresh-cut hay aroma and sharp, grassy tang. It was made by hand and allowed to develop and mature in its own rind. It had a smooth, silky texture and robust taste. Other Carmarthenshire cheeses include ''Caws Cenarth'' and ''Kid Me Not'', both winners of prizes at the ''British Cheese Awards''. ''Caws Cenarth'' supplies ''Perl Las'' blue organic cheese to England's
Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the boro ...
rugby stadium and has also supplied
British Airways British Airways (BA) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main hub at Heathrow Airport. The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and passengers ...
.


Condiments

''Kite Wholefoods'', of
Pontyberem Pontyberem () is a village and community situated in the Gwendraeth Valley halfway between Carmarthen and Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, Wales. As of the 2001 Census, the population was recorded as 2,829, reducing to 2,768 at the 2011 Census. Th ...
, are artisan producers of organic
mayonnaise Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tarta ...
. ''Pencae Mawr Farm Foods'' of
Llanfynydd Llanfynydd is a village, parish and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. The community population at the 2011 census was 499. It lies some 10 miles (16 km) north-east of the county town, Carmarthen. Bordering it are the communities of Llansaw ...
, Carmarthen, produce home-made chutneys, preserves and other condiments and are ''True Taste Award'' winners winning a gold medal for best organic product (beetroot relish) and a silver award for speciality product (blackcurrant and vanilla). Cakes and sweets ''Popty Bach-y-Wlad'' which means ''little baker in the countryside'' is a traditional bakery run by Enfys Marks at Carmarthen Market, baking Welsh cakes, bara brith, ''teisen lap'' (the Welsh plate cake), boiled cake and a range of assorted breads, cakes and buns. At ''Pobdy Stephens Bakehouse'', also art Carmarthen Market, can be found Welsh cakes, sultana pancakes, chunky pasties and
Victoria sponge Sponge cake is a light cake made with egg whites, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated ...
s. The Richardson family of Llansteffan have a shop in Carmarthen Market selling ''Etta's Royal Cake''. The family firm was set up in the 1970s by Etta Richardson ''Etta's Royal Cake'' is a favourite of the Prince of Wales, eight cakes were delivered to Highgrove one Christmas, and the cake was ordered by
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
for the wedding reception of Prince Charles and Camilla. ''Fiona's Fudge'', in Carmarthen, produces home-made fruit cakes and fudge. In
Llandovery Llandovery (; cy, Llanymddyfri ) is a market town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Tywi and at the junction of the A40 and A483 roads, about north-east of Carmarthen, north of Swansea and west of Brecon. Hi ...
, organic fudge, biscuits and cakes are made by ''Just So Scrumpitious''/''O Mor Braf'' without using preservatives and gift packaged. ''Mario's Ice Cream'', produced by Mario Dalavalle, a third generation ice-cream maker, was awarded the ''National Ice Alliance Silver Shield'' in 2007 for the best dairy ice cream in Great Britain. He produces 30 varieties of ice cream at his dairy in Crosshands. All the milk comes from a 15-mile radius of his dairy, including the Nant-y-Bwla pedigree Jersey herd, and the
Gwendraeth Valley The River Gwendraeth ( cy, Afon Gwendraeth) is a river in Carmarthenshire in West Wales. It has two almost equal branches that have their confluence in their joint estuary at Carmarthen Bay. The Gwendraeth Fawr (''large Gwendraeth'' in English) i ...
's ''Cwmheidir Farm'', gold medal winners at the Royal Welsh Show. Mario points out that cheap ice cream is full of air and vegetable fat, he believes the reason that his business has grown is because people are willing to pay more for quality. Mario's Ice Cream is available across Wales and at Asda stores. Another national ice cream award winner is ''Frank's Ice Cream'' produced for the last 80 years from Capel Hendre, Ammanford, it is available from
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British Multinational corporation, multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues an ...
s and has won the British, European and Champion of Champions’ cup.http://www.dooyoo.co.uk/food/frank-s-diabetic-ice-cream/1272140/ Retrieved 7 August 2010 and produces a diabetic vanilla ice cream http://www.ciao.co.uk/Frank_s_Ice_Cream_Diabetic_Vanilla__7055029 Retrieved 7 August 2010 ''
Tregroes Tregroes ( cy, Tregroes, "Settlement of the Cross") is a hamlet in the community of Llandysul, Ceredigion, Wales, which is 64.1 miles (103.2 km) from Cardiff and 183.6 miles (295.5 km) from London. Tregroes is represented in the Sened ...
Waffle Bakery'', of Llandysul, produces sweet waffles based on traditional recipes. ''Brynderi Honey Farm'', of
Whitland Whitland (Welsh: , lit. "Old White House", or ''Hendy-gwyn ar Daf'', "Old White House on the River Tâf", from the medieval ''Ty Gwyn ar Daf'') is both a town and a community in Carmarthenshire, Wales. Description The Whitland community is ...
, are honey producers and international organic honey packers from farm produced honey to honey harvested from organic-certified hives. They also produce honey ice-cream and marmalade.


Drink

Felinfoel Brewery Company based at
Felinfoel Felinfoel (pronounced ) is a small village and electoral ward on the River Lliedi on the northern border of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, West Wales, with a population of about 2,000. The Felinfoel Brewery, home of Double Dragon Ale, is the oldest ...
, Llanelli, is a traditional brewery noted for
cask ale Real ale is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for beer that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous ca ...
and bottled beer. It was founded in 1840 and invented canned beer in 1935. Its ''Double Dragon beer'' is distributed as far as the United States, Germany and France. Evan Evans Brewery is a brewery based in Llandeilo producing ale called ''Cwrw'', which is Welsh for beer. ''The Towy Valley Cider Company'' is based in Carmarthen Their
cider Cider ( ) is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented juice of apples. Cider is widely available in the United Kingdom (particularly in the West Country) and the Republic of Ireland. The UK has the world's highest per capita consumption, ...
is made to a traditional recipe using
apple juice Apple juice is a fruit juice made by the maceration and pressing of an apple. The resulting expelled juice may be further treated by enzymatic and centrifugal clarification to remove the starch and pectin, which holds fine particulate in suspe ...
pressed on the farm. It is matured in
oak barrel Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a vess ...
s and then kept for at least a year before distribution, which makes it a strong, clear, still cider. ''Jin Talog'' is a single botanical London dry gin produced in the village of Talog, Carmarthenshire. Coles Family Brewers, based in
Llanddarog Llanddarog () is a community located in Carmarthenshire, Wales.The community population at the 2011 census was 1,198., and includes the villages of Cwmisfael, Mynyddcerrig and Porthyrhyd. The community is bordered by the communities of: Lla ...
, produce Welsh whiskey, gin and vodka ''Brecon Carreg'' is a natural
spring water A spring is a point of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of Earth's crust ( pedosphere) and becomes surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fresh ...
which is either still or sparkling, and is produced at
Trap, Carmarthenshire Trap (or Trapp in English spelling) is a hamlet in the county of Carmarthenshire in southwest Wales, located on the western border of the Brecon Beacons National Park, around four miles southeast of the town of Llandeilo. It is unclear whether the ...
.


Other markets and box schemes

Other markets include
Ammanford Ammanford ( cy, Rhydaman) is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, with a population of 5,411 at the 2011 census. It is a former coal mining town. The built-up area had a population of 7,945 with the wider urban area even bigger. Acc ...
street market (every Friday), Llandeilo open air market (every Friday), Carmarthen farmers’ market (first Friday of every month), Llandovery market (last Saturday of every month), Ammanford farmers’ market (last Thursday of every month). There are 3 large scale food & drink festivals held at Carmarthen Showground in Carmarthen, showcasing the best in Season of the counties food, drinks and crafts: The Winter Show, The Spring Show and the Summer Show. www.wintershowwales.co.uk Box schemes are provided by ''Organics to Go'', based at Golden Grove near Llandeilo, which includes specific items to order and delivers throughout South and West Wales. ''M & M Organics'' of Pontyberem, Llanelli run a box scheme covering Carmarthenshire and
Pembrokeshire Pembrokeshire ( ; cy, Sir Benfro ) is a county in the south-west of Wales. It is bordered by Carmarthenshire to the east, Ceredigion to the northeast, and the rest by sea. The county is home to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The Park oc ...
areas. ''The Organic Pantry'', based in Ammanford, does door deliveries.


See also

*
Welsh cuisine Welsh cuisine ( Welsh: ''Ceginiaeth Cymreig'') encompasses the cooking styles, traditions and recipes associated with Wales. While there are many dishes that can be considered Welsh due to their ingredients and/or history, dishes such as cawl, ...
* Cuisine of Ceredigion *
Cuisine of Gower The cuisine of Gower, a peninsula in south Wales, is based on ingredients grown, raised or collected on or around the peninsula. The cuisine is based on fresh ingredients with recipes based around a fish or meat dish. Until the twentieth century, ...
* Cuisine of Monmouthshire * Cuisine of Pembrokeshire


Further reading


Taste from CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire Farmhouse FayreWelsh Fare
- website by
National Museum Cardiff National Museum Cardiff ( cy, Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd) is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Welsh Gov ...
based on their book printed in 1976 containing recipes selected by S. Minwel Tibbott in respect of the Cuisine of Wales


External links


Carmarthen Food
on-line local produce market for Carmarthenshire
Visit Carmarthenshire
web site of Carmarthenshire Tourism Association with section on local food
Hungry City Hippy - 48 hours in Carmarthenshire a food lover's itinerary
a Cardiff food blogger's report on Carmarthenshire food
Grown in Wales
web site dedicated to food and plant growers in Wales with regional guide including Carmarthenshire
Olive Magazine, Foodie road trip in Carmarthenshire
article on places to eat and drink in Carmarthenshire
Clare Hargreaves food blog
The chic face of Carmarthenshire - article on Carmarthenshire food
Carmarthen market
market web site with list of food stalls and cafes
People's Collection Wales
Carmarthen coracles
Wright's Food Emporium
review by
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

Wright's Food Emporium
review by WalesOnline (
Media Wales Media Wales Ltd. is a publishing company based in Cardiff, Wales. As of 2009 it was owned by Reach plc (formerly known as the Trinity Mirror Group). It was previously known as the Western Mail & Echo Ltd. History The ''Western Mail'' was fo ...
)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carmarthenshire, Cuisine of Welsh cuisine Carmarthenshire