What type of foodstuff is 'cawl'?

Cawl is a Welsh dish. In modern Welsh the word is used for any soup or broth; in English it refers to a traditional Welsh soup, usually called 'cawl Cymreig' in Welsh.

With recipes dating back to the fourteenth century, cawl is widely considered to be a national dish of Wales. Cawl was traditionally eaten during the winter months in the south-west of Wales. Today, the word is often used to refer to a dish containing lamb and leeks, due to their association with Welsh culture, but historically it was made with either salted bacon or beef, along with swedes, carrots and other seasonal vegetables. With the introduction of the potato into the European diet in the latter half of the 16th century, it became a core ingredient in the recipe as well.