9 local foods our region gave the world - some more popular than others

However, while the streets of the Black Country, Staffordshire and Shropshire are full of outside choices, there are still foods which are indigenous to the region and considered proper local delicacies, loved from Cradley to Clun, from Shrewbury to Sedgley and from Craven Arms to Coseley.

Pork scratchings

The humble pork scratching has been a staple part of Black Country food since the Industrial Revolution, when it was common for factory workers to keep a pig in their garden.

Walk into any pub in the region and you'll see bags of both pork scratching and the lighter pork crunch on sale, while bags of scratchings can be bought at newsagents, supermarkets and across the counter at butchers shops.

Pork scratchings are made from the skin of a pig's shank, which is the top of the hind leg.

The skin is cleaned, boiled until soft, cooled, and then the fat is removed before the skin is then sliced into small pieces and baked in the oven until crispy.

Pork scratchings are usually only seasoned with salt because they still have a lot of their natural pork flavour and are cooked once, which makes them harder and crunchier than pork crackling, which is typically fried twice.

Pork scratchings are high in fat, but two-thirds of that fat is mono and polyunsaturated, which is good for heart health.

Shrewsbury cakes

Traditionally, Shrewsbury cakes were baked as thick, large biscuits, able to be kept for long periods of time.

The cakes are renowned for their texture, being crisp and brittle, and were given to people of importance when they visited Shrewsbury.

There is a significant variation in recipes, but generally speaking a Shrewsbury cake is a large, round shortbread with rose flavouring.

It is said Shrewsbury cakes were first produced by a Mr Pailin (or Palin, or Hailin), with a plaque on an old shop near to Shrewsbury Castle reading: "This shop occupies the site of a building where Palin first made the unique Shrewsbury cakes to his original recipe in the year 1760".

Faggots

Faggots are an old-fashioned British food commonly associated with Birmingham and the Midlands and have enjoyed a recent revival and are now eaten all over the UK.

Traditionally they are made from offal, usually pork, and from the bits of the animal that are generally discarded such as the heart and the liver.

This makes faggots a cheap and nutritious dish which are traditionally eaten with mushy peas, mashed potatoes and onion gravy.

Faggots are also known as "ducks" in the Midlands, and were most popular during rationing in World War II.

Groaty pudding

Groaty Pudding or Groaty Dick is groats, beef, leeks and beef stock slow cooked for around 16 hours and was traditional made for bonfire nights as a warming stew.

Grey peas

Grey Peas (Gray Pays as pronounced in the Black Country) they are traditionally served with bacon.

The peas themselves are maple pea and the process is soaking them in water for 48 hrs and then add bi carbonate soda and bring to the boil under the peas soften and create a grey textured mush.

Then, to finish off, you just add your cooked bacon and have a meal which can be eaten alone or served with Faggots.

Staffordshire oatcakes

Staffordshire Oatcakes are a delicacy which have reportedly been around for hundreds of years.

Making them is an inherited tradition that still flourishes today, but the oatcakes' history is much debated and many people have their own stories to tell about its origins.

They look and feel a bit like a dirty flannel, but its taste really does contradict its looks, with oatcakes regarded as the original potter's fast food.

They are affectionately known locally as a 'Pottery's Poppadom', a ''Tunstall Tortilla', and a 'Clay Suzette', and go well with a bit of bacon, cheese and sauce or jam.

Shropshire fidget pie as made by The Ludlow Food Centre

Probably Shropshire's best-known dish, Fidget Pie was in danger of becoming a distant memory, with only the elderly still having recipes or remembering its function as a portable meal for men working in the fields.

However, when TV chefs the Hairy Bikers visited Ludlow in 2009, they helped to revive the Fidget Pie, made from a combination of ham, apples, onions, cider and cheese.

No one knows exactly when the pie was invented, but it has been made for at least 400 years.

The name probably comes from the fact that it was originally 'fitched' or five-sided in shape, although there's also the less appetising theory that it stems from 'fitchett' or 'fitch', the name locals used for a polecat, due to the fact that the pie smelled foul during baking.

Staffordshire cheese and ale pie

The Staffordshire Cheese and Ale Pie is described as a comforting dish that highlights the region's rich culinary heritage.

This traditional pie is crafted using local cheeses such as Staffordshire Cheddar and Red Leicester, known for their creamy textures and robust flavours.

The filling of the pie is a combination of these cheeses, local ale, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs.

Staffordshire lobby

Staffordshire Lobby is a traditional stew brimming with bacon, beef, potatoes, carrots, and onions.

This savoury stew is a staple in Staffordshire cuisine and the dish, made with local ingredients, holds a rich history in the region, reflecting Staffordshire's agricultural heritage.

Staffordshire Lobby is often enjoyed alongside crusty bread or Staffordshire oatcakes to round out the meal.

Are there any traditional foods we've missed that were your favourites? Please let us know in the comments.