Week Eleven – Faggots

No world record attempt this week, I’m afraid.

If you have been following my foodal journey recently, you will have seen that, last time, I tried to break the world record for ‘fastest time to eat three pickled eggs’.  If I’m honest, my attempt was terrible, culminating in me shamefully missing out on the record by more than a minute and a half.

As a consolation prize, however, I was top of the website leader-board for almost a week (because I was the only contender!) before being usurped by an American eating machine, wearing a rather fetching pug-face t-shirt.  Fair play to him.  He can certainly eat eggs significantly faster than me and his wardrobe is far more interesting than mine.  Although, he did look like he wanted to chuck-up a couple of times during his attempt, so I’ll take some comfort from that – I didn’t gag once (and I was eating eggs for far longer than he was!)

Part of me (the juvenile, competitive part) wants to have another go, but the other part of me (the rational, grown-up part) wants to move on and leave well alone.  This internal battle is still on-going, so I’ll keep you posted as to what gets decided… [Yes, we all know I’ll have another go!]

Oh, and as you’ve been so well behaved recently, here’s an outtake from my record attempt: –

Right, back to this week’s new food…

I hadn’t planned on what I would be eating this week, but, as luck would have it, I fortuitously stumbled upon something I had not tried before in a café after a lovely walk up to the top of Twmbarlwm in the Cwmcarn Forest in South Wales.  It’s a beautiful place – just ask me, TripAdvisor or the Caerphilly Borough Council Tourist Information Officer.

With all the walking up and down hills, I had worked up a bit of an appetite, so I was scouring the menu for anything with chips – yes, I do sometimes eat normal food – and noticed ‘Faggots with peas and chips’.  This was great for three reasons: –

(1)   I had never eaten faggots before.

(2)   CHIPS!!

(3)   I learned that faggots with peas and chips in Welsh is ‘ffagots a phys a sglodion’ – It’s always a bonus when lunch can be a learning experience – Just don’t ask me to pronounce it!

Food ordered, I sat down at a table (towards the periphery of the room, as I didn’t want people seeing me taking photos of my lunch) and tried to work out just how to say ‘sglodion’.

In no time at all, my meal arrived.  It looked pretty good…  Chips, peas and mini-burger-like faggots all covered in gravy.  I was hungry and this looked like it would be a hearty feast.

Mum, is that man over there taking photos of his dinner?

Faggots are popular in Wales and the Midlands.  This being said, I never once encountered them during my three years at university in Loughborough – Then again, I never left the library – Honest!

Yes dear, I think he’s English – That might explain it…

They are traditionally made from meat off-cuts (usually pork), with various spices and bread crumbs thrown-in for good measure.  I guess, fairly similar to the white pudding I quite enjoyed a few weeks back.

Does anyone remember this advert?

So tasty, I wish I’d tried them years ago…

Despite the intestinal ingredients, the faggots were not offal (This attempted joke is, though!) and I really enjoyed them.  Meaty and filling – A great meal to warm the cockles after spending a morning up a chilly, blowy hill.  And they looked like burgers – Which is always a bonus.

If you do two things this week: –

(1)   Go walking in Wales – You’ll love it

(2)   Tell everyone how interesting this blog is – They’ll love it

Join me next time when I will be eating something else…  And, no doubt, continuing to bang on about my failed World Record attempt…  You have been warned!