If you are ever in a restaurant in southeast Ireland and hear someone say blah, it’s not a comment on the quality of the food. What they’re really talking about is a doughy, white bread roll that’s a specialty of the city: the Waterford blaa.
How the Waterford blaa got its name
When the French Huguenots settled in Waterford City in the 1690s, they brought the blaa with them. According to legend they baked a bread product made from leftover pieces of dough and liberally dusted it with white flour before baking.
Some say their bakers used the term “blaad” to signify leftover dough. Others say its name comes from blanc, the French word for “white,” due to all the flour it’s covered in.
What makes a blaa special
The blaa caught on in the early 1800s because it was affordable by the poor local population. It was cheap to produce so could be sold for very little money. Soon it became a way of life. Blaas are made from only five, very inexpensive ingredients:
- Preservative-free strong baker’s flour
- Table salt
- Compressed yeast
- Dough conditioner
- Water
There are now only a handful of qualified blaa bakers in Waterford. They can produce two types: crusty and soft. Choose your favorite:
- Crusty – Crunchy at first bite, then chewy with a subtle malt taste and a pleasing bitter aftertaste from the well cooked, dark crust.
- Soft – Slightly sweet, malty flavor, light but firm in texture and melts in the mouth. Dan said they reminded him of potato rolls.
How to eat a blaa
Because they are usually baked overnight and quickly lose freshness, blaas are usually eaten at breakfast time. The most common way is to eat it with just a little butter, but the breakfast blaa (egg, bacon rasher and sausage) is also popular. Chefs are creative with them, like Dan’s vegetarian eggs Benedict.
When lunchtime rolls around, locals make blaa sandwiches. Popular fillings include corned beef, Red Lead (a red-colored luncheon meat), and ham and cheese. They often eat them before a big hurling or soccer match.
How to make a blaa
The Waterford Blaa has not only won a prestigious Eurotoque award for uniqueness and quality, it is now also on the shortlist for the E.U.’s coveted Database for Protected Designations. Just as only sparkling wines from France’s Champagne region can be called “champagne,” if accepted, only a blaa made in Waterford will be able to go by that name,
So if you find a recipe online, you won’t be able to make a blaa unless you’re in Waterford county.
