The Waterford Blaa

A blaa is a soft white bread roll, floury on top, pale and slightly under-baked by the standards of most bread, and it belongs to Waterford in a way that few foods belong anywhere. It carries protected geographical indication status in the European Union, which means the name can only be used for blaas made in Waterford and a narrow area around it. The origin is usually traced to Huguenot bakers who settled in the city, though the evidence for that is thin. It is eaten fresh the same morning, split and buttered or filled with rashers or a sausage. Bakeries deliver early and the shops are sold out by the middle of the day.

What you actually see

• The flour dusting - the white coating that gives the roll its look and its name.
• The morning delivery - blaas arrive early and are gone before lunch.
• The breakfast blaa - split and filled with rashers or a sausage.
• The protected name - the EU designation limiting it to the Waterford area.

When to go

Any morning, and morning is the whole point, because a blaa is at its best within a few hours of baking and is stale by evening. Bakeries and shops around the city have them from early and most are gone before lunchtime. Saturday sells out fastest. There is nothing to book beyond being awake early enough.

Honest expectations

It is a plain white roll, and visitors arriving expecting something remarkable are routinely underwhelmed; the interest lies in what it means to Waterford rather than in the bread. It goes stale within hours and does not freeze well. Outside the county you will not find a real one, and what is sold as a blaa elsewhere is not.

Nearby

The Viking Triangle and the quays are a short walk from the city bakeries.