Cockles and laver

We British are not generally a nation of seaweed lovers and, for most of us, the nearest we get to seaweed crossing our lips is probably samphire. The one ingredient that is quite unique to the Welsh kitchen is laver — or laver bread as it is known once cooked and prepared - the delicate purplish seaweed harvested from rocks in south Wales. It is rather confusing calling it laver bread, as it has nothing to do with bread at all. For you Japanese food lovers, the nori sheets in which sushi rolls are wrapped are made from the same laver seaweed, which may or may not change our minds a little.