Did Welsh rarebit start as a joke by the English?

[jdaw1]

BBC, Did Welsh rarebit start as a joke by the English?, 7 June 2025:

It's a beloved national dish of Wales and is found on restaurant menus across the country, but did Welsh rarebit actually start life as a joke played by the English?

[DRT]

I am somewhat sceptical about the theory that cheese would be a cheaper alternative for the poor than catching and skinning or even buying a wild rabbit, a commodity that Wales has an over-abundance of. Even today cheap cheese and wild rabbit cost about the same, and almost no-one eats rabbit so the price is probably too high.

[winesecretary]

That BBC piece was either written by a not- very-sophisticated AI or by someone who ought to be sacked for being a credulous idiot.

[jdaw1]

Moved to the section Beer, Spirits, Cigars, and Pork Pies, because it’s close to the idea of a cheese pie.