TO THE untrained eye it may look like an ordinary bap, but to the people of Waterford the blaa is a bread apart and now it looks set to be recognised as such. Moves are being made to have it granted special status by the EU.
The saucer-sized bread bun, made from flour, yeast and water, is being considered for European protected geographical integrity status, which, if granted, will mean the blaa can be produced only in Waterford.
Dermot Walsh of M&D Bakery, one of just three bakeries left making the blaa, explained that the blaa is at stage three of the EU process to grant it protected status. “The review involved looking at the manner in which it is made, and if the status is received this will be an annual verification process for each of the bakeries making the blaa with complete traceability of the ingredients.”
Dermot, whose grandfather Pa Walsh set up Walsh’s Bakery in Ballybricken in the 1920s with his British army first World War pension, explained that the blaa owes its origin to French Huguenots who came to Waterford in the 1690s.
“The French Huguenots set up their own bakery in New Geneva – the warren of small streets at the back of Reginald’s Tower – and they used to make their own distinctive bread. The tradition has survived in Waterford right through to modern times.
“There are several theories as to where the name ‘blaa’ originated but the most common one and the one my late father Richard and my grandfather Pa told me was that it was a shortening of the French word blanc for white.”
M&D Bakery is one of three bakeries along with Hickeys and Harneys where each morning around 12,000 blaas are produced for consumption in Waterford. And because there are no preservatives used, the blaa is best eaten fresh before midday and so it has never really been exported to Cork or Dublin.
Visitors to Waterford can join with natives this weekend to watch blaas being made as part of the Waterford Harvest Food Festival which concludes on Sunday with Ireland’s largest food market, Amazing Grazing, taking place on the city’s south quays.
Amazing Grazing begins at 11am on the quays, which will be transformed into a giant market extending for a mile with food stalls, craft producers, vintage farm machinery, street entertainment and a pets’ corner.
For further info visit waterfordharvestfestival.ie
Flour power: How to make your own
INGREDIENTS
2lbs strong flour
1oz salt
2oz fresh yeast
Just under 1 pint water
METHOD
1 Mix the ingredients and knead the dough until it is silky to touch. Cover it and put aside until it doubles in size. This will happen faster in a warm place.
2 Take it out, knead dough for one minute, divide it into 3oz pieces, shape into rounds, and leave aside again to rise for approximately half an hour.
3 Flatten out, put on baking tray, flour generously, leave until they double in size.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes at about 220 degrees.
(Source: baker Dermot Walsh - who says how the blaas are made makes all the difference)