Cockles and laverbread are two of the traditional foods of South-west Wales and have been established delicacies for centuries but they remain a completely alien culinary concept to many in the rest of Wales. In the latest programme in the new series, Dudley heads down to the Gower - a region blessed with many splendid beaches and home to a long-lasting and distinctive industry.
The Gower is renowned and lauded for its fresh seafood with cockles and laverbread being the most famous of traditional Welsh delicacies from this aesthetically pleasing part of Wales. Gathering both cockles and laverbread is very labour-intensive due to the serious backbreaking work that is involved.
Cockle gathering in the Gower dates back to Roman times and shells have even been found in several sites of historical interest - such as castles and caves - along the Peninsula.
Since the middle ages, fresh cockles have been sold in Swansea and, originally, it was a womans chore to gather this seafood! They would venture to the beaches dressed in clothes, quite similar in appearance to the traditional Welsh costume, and labour for many hours in the cockle-beds so as to bring a home a profit. They would load basketfuls of cockles on donkeys and then proceed to meander through the nearby villages selling them.
Today, the clothing worn by cockle-gatherers has altered significantly but the basic principle in the laborious method of harvesting cockles remains the same. Its the men, not the women, that do the work now whilst the donkeys have been replaced by tractors and landrovers. The tools used havent changed much in that a short-handled rake is used to bring the cockles to the surface of the sand, which are then sieved in a riddle so that the sand and smaller, unwanted cockles fall through. (The smaller cockles are left so that they can grow and reproduce).
Once the cockles have been gathered theyre then taken to be washed and packaged. Indeed, its claimed that the finest cockles in the UK come from the Gower and, in particular, Penclawdd. The Penclawdd Shellfish Company is situated directly next to the beach so that the cockles can be gathered and then taken straight to the factory. A mere 55 licences are granted annually for the permission of hand-raking cockles. Cockles are gathered daily (except on Sundays) and each licensed gatherer is permitted to collect 300kg-600kg per day. It is claimed that we in the UK dont appreciate cockles enough because, in Spain, the cockle beds are under the watchful eye and protection of armed guards!
Laverbread has been eaten in Britain, in some shape or form, for many centuries - most probably as a kind of survival food. The heavy mining era of the eighteenth century saw laverbread become part of the staple diet of pit workers, who would eat it for breakfast. It would be rolled in oatmeal before being fried in bacon fat or mixed with lemon juice and spread on toast.
The laver itself is a type of seaweed, shiny black in colour and usually found lying flat on rocks. The laver is relatively easy to gather but then it would have to be washed and re-washed until completely free of sand and then boiled for ten hours until reduced into the pulpy mass that we know as laverbread. Occasionally referred to as the Welsh caviar, laverbread today is usually processed and packaged professionally by seafood companies.
Laverbread is rich in protein, iodine and vitamins (A, B, B2, C, and D) and is very low in calories. It is also akin to the Japanese Nori, also a species of seaweed, which is sold as dried sheets in the UK. It is an acquired taste and consumption has declined over the years but more and more restaurants are serving laverbread as a seafood accompaniment or as part of vegetarian dishes.
Apart from cockles and laverbread, the waters along the Gower yield a sumptuous array of seafood including crab, wild salmon, sewin (sea trout) and much more besides. The Gower truly is a jewel in the Welsh crown!
The Gower is renowned and lauded for its fresh seafood with cockles and laverbread being the most famous of traditional Welsh delicacies from this aesthetically pleasing part of Wales. Gathering both cockles and laverbread is very labour-intensive due to the serious backbreaking work that is involved.
Cockle gathering in the Gower dates back to Roman times and shells have even been found in several sites of historical interest - such as castles and caves - along the Peninsula.
Since the middle ages, fresh cockles have been sold in Swansea and, originally, it was a womans chore to gather this seafood! They would venture to the beaches dressed in clothes, quite similar in appearance to the traditional Welsh costume, and labour for many hours in the cockle-beds so as to bring a home a profit. They would load basketfuls of cockles on donkeys and then proceed to meander through the nearby villages selling them.
Today, the clothing worn by cockle-gatherers has altered significantly but the basic principle in the laborious method of harvesting cockles remains the same. Its the men, not the women, that do the work now whilst the donkeys have been replaced by tractors and landrovers. The tools used havent changed much in that a short-handled rake is used to bring the cockles to the surface of the sand, which are then sieved in a riddle so that the sand and smaller, unwanted cockles fall through. (The smaller cockles are left so that they can grow and reproduce).
Once the cockles have been gathered theyre then taken to be washed and packaged. Indeed, its claimed that the finest cockles in the UK come from the Gower and, in particular, Penclawdd. The Penclawdd Shellfish Company is situated directly next to the beach so that the cockles can be gathered and then taken straight to the factory. A mere 55 licences are granted annually for the permission of hand-raking cockles. Cockles are gathered daily (except on Sundays) and each licensed gatherer is permitted to collect 300kg-600kg per day. It is claimed that we in the UK dont appreciate cockles enough because, in Spain, the cockle beds are under the watchful eye and protection of armed guards!
Laverbread has been eaten in Britain, in some shape or form, for many centuries - most probably as a kind of survival food. The heavy mining era of the eighteenth century saw laverbread become part of the staple diet of pit workers, who would eat it for breakfast. It would be rolled in oatmeal before being fried in bacon fat or mixed with lemon juice and spread on toast.
The laver itself is a type of seaweed, shiny black in colour and usually found lying flat on rocks. The laver is relatively easy to gather but then it would have to be washed and re-washed until completely free of sand and then boiled for ten hours until reduced into the pulpy mass that we know as laverbread. Occasionally referred to as the Welsh caviar, laverbread today is usually processed and packaged professionally by seafood companies.
Laverbread is rich in protein, iodine and vitamins (A, B, B2, C, and D) and is very low in calories. It is also akin to the Japanese Nori, also a species of seaweed, which is sold as dried sheets in the UK. It is an acquired taste and consumption has declined over the years but more and more restaurants are serving laverbread as a seafood accompaniment or as part of vegetarian dishes.
Apart from cockles and laverbread, the waters along the Gower yield a sumptuous array of seafood including crab, wild salmon, sewin (sea trout) and much more besides. The Gower truly is a jewel in the Welsh crown!