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Despite their names suggesting otherwise, neither Welsh rabbit nor Bombay duck contains the animal you might expect. The former is a savory dish with a history dating back to 18th-century Britain, consisting of a melted cheese sauce served over toasted bread. The term "rabbit" is thought to have been a jocular, and perhaps slightly derogatory, name suggesting that the Welsh were so impoverished they would eat cheese and call it rabbit. Over time, the name has sometimes been altered to "Welsh rarebit," though the cheesy, savory core of the dish remains the same. Recipes often enhance the cheese sauce with additions like ale, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Similarly, Bombay duck is not a type of poultry, but rather a fish. Specifically, it is a species of lizardfish known as Harpadon nehereus, found in the waters around India. This fish is often salted, dried in the sun, and then served, either fried to a crisp or crumbled as a condiment over curries. The origin of its misleading name is not entirely certain, but a popular theory connects it to the mail trains, or "Bombay Dak," of the British Raj. These trains transported the pungent, dried fish, and the strong smell became associated with the mail, leading to the name "Bombay duck."
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