The principle of traditional Irish cuisine is simple: hearty and tasty. In this practical country, meat and potatoes are held in special esteem – they are used as the basis for cooking.
The methods of processing the ingredients are also simple: they are boiled, stewed or fried. Therefore, local national cuisine is often called coarse – this is a stereotype that has developed over centuries and is refuted in a matter of minutes spent at the Irish table.
So what food should you try in Ireland in order to fully experience the amazing flavor of this extraordinary country? Let’s look at the list of 10 traditional national dishes, without which it is simply impossible to imagine it!
Boxty
Having once appeared as “bread for the poor,” today boxti have become an integral part of the local national cuisine. This simple food is traditional pancakes made from grated potatoes with the addition of flour, eggs, and sometimes fresh or sour milk.
Most often in Ireland they are offered for breakfast (with soft local cheese) or as a side dish for meat dishes (with chopped herbs).
Herbs stuffed mushrooms
In Ireland, mushrooms are added to stews, vegetable stews and meat dishes, and grilled. But nothing compares to such a popular national delicacy as champignon caps stuffed with herbs.
The stem of the mushroom is carefully removed, chopped, mixed with finely chopped basil and onion. Irish chefs love to experiment and add garlic, walnuts, thyme and other various ingredients to the traditional filling.
The stuffed caps are fried or baked, sprinkled with grated Parmesan. The food turns out exquisite and tender, and thanks to herbs it acquires an amazing taste and aroma. In Ireland it is served for breakfast or as an appetizer with main courses.
Coddle
This national food in Ireland has long been the prerogative of the nobility – ordinary peasants could only try it on holidays. And all because this dish is incredibly meaty: to prepare it you need a lot of homemade sausages, fatty bacon, as well as potatoes and onions. All ingredients are stewed in a saucepan, and the usual seasonings are salt, pepper and parsley.
They say that Jonathan Swift himself was not averse to trying the delicacy – coddle became one of his favorite dishes. The Irish also adore this national food; it becomes especially popular in the winter months.
And it’s true: what could be better than a hearty, aromatic, tasty and juicy coddle when a piercing and angry wind is blowing outside the window! In short, coddle is a must eat when traveling around Ireland.
Champ
Many traditional Irish dishes are made with or based on potatoes, and champ is one of them. This is a very delicate puree that can be eaten on its own or as a side dish for meat or fish. The perfect combination of flavors!
To prepare champa, in addition to boiled potatoes, you need very few ingredients: milk (or cream), finely chopped onion, butter, cheese, salt and pepper. At all times in the country it was considered an everyday dish that was inappropriate on the holiday table.
However, this food means a lot in Irish culture – champ has even become the source of several popular expressions. For example, “as thick as champ” can be interpreted as a characteristic of a stupid, crazy person. And “as ignorant as champ at a wedding” literally means “uncultured”, “rude”, “inappropriate”.
Colcannon
The traditional national cuisine of Ireland is distinguished by its special festive specifics, and the proof of this is colcannon, which has become one of the signature Halloween treats in the country.Local custom required hiding a “talisman”, for example, a ring or a small coin, in the prepared dish. The person who found this or that object in the plate could judge his future: marriage or wealth.
To prepare colcannon you need cabbage and mashed potatoes (bacon or ham can be used as an addition). Because of such simple, accessible and inexpensive ingredients, this food can be enjoyed in Ireland at any time of the year, but better in the fall, during the fresh harvest, and, of course, on All Hallows’ Eve.
Barmbrack
Barmbrack is another unique Irish national dish that has become an indispensable attribute of the Halloween table. It is prepared from yeast dough, always adding raisins or grapes. There are also variations of the traditional recipe, for example, using Irish whiskey or other savory ingredients.
In former times, rings, chips, coins, peas and other objects that personified the future were “hidden” in this food. Today, in memory of tradition, you can buy a barmbrack with symbolic rings inside.
Barmbrack is essentially Irish sweet bread. It is cut into slices and served with tea as a dessert. There are a lot of recipes for making barmbrack in Ireland and you can try it not only on holidays.
Irish stew
This traditional Irish dish is made from tender lamb with potatoes and onions. Local chefs do not like to change the traditional recipe much, adding only carrots, thyme or rosemary to the stew in order to achieve a more subtle and rich aroma and taste.
In Ireland, the love for this food has been rooted for centuries, and today Irish stew can be tasted everywhere. The stew is served hot, in deep plates along with broth. This is an excellent dish during the cold season – then its popularity increases sharply.
Irish Fish Chowder
Of course, the Irish love for potatoes is known throughout the world. But no less strong in the national cuisine is the passion for seafood, of which the country’s generous coastal waters provide many. An example of this is Irish fish chowder, for the preparation of which salmon, cod, halibut, mussels and shrimp are caught in Ireland.
The secret to the fantastic taste of the chowder lies in two key features: a light, delicate creamy broth and a mixture of fresh and smoked seafood and fish. It is curious that in the vast majority of cases the recipe also involves the use of bacon, fried until golden brown and crispy.
This unusual national food can be found on the menu of almost any pub . Here you will certainly be offered to try it with traditional soda bread and wash it down with a glass of “good old” Guinness, Kilkenny or Smithwick’s ale.
“Soda bread”
In every home in Ireland, in the kitchen, every housewife keeps her own recipe for the so-called “soda bread”, passed down from generation to generation. Some people prefer to bake it with honey and dried fruits, others with bran or oatmeal, but the main thing remains the same: the basis of the bread is soda, buttermilk and flour.
Another common ingredient added to this Irish dish is the famous Guinness beer. It gives the bread a unique, characteristic taste.
Soda bread is an important attribute of any feast. The Irish serve it with soups, but often eat bread just like that, cut into slices and spread with butter.
Guiness Cake
It is impossible to list traditional Irish dishes and ignore such a famous and popular dessert as Guinness cake. It has become an organic part of the national cuisine, although they say about it that the recipe was not invented by the Irish.Guiness Cake is not only one of the TOP best local desserts, but is also considered one of the main treats for St. Patrick’s Day.
The cake is prepared quickly and easily. The main nuance lies in heating the beer in the same container with oil and adding the required amount of cocoa powder to the mixture. The dessert turns out black and “sinful”, like the night – this is especially emphasized by the cap of sweet snow-white airy cream that covers the top of the cake. An incredible challenge for those who decide to eat less sweets!
When traveling around Ireland, you will definitely be able to try many more original local dishes. For example, Boiled bacon and cabbage (boiled bacon with cabbage), Potatoes with cheese and herbs (potatoes with cheese and herbs) or Beef & Guinness Stew (stewed beef with Guinness). You should definitely pay tribute to oysters, mussels, shrimp, salmon and other seafood and fish.
You will also be surprised how many wonderful desserts Ireland has to offer! These include Irish Oaty Apple Crumble, Irish Potato Candies (cinnamon and cream cheese dessert), Irish Whiskey and Stout Chocolate Cake (chocolate cake with alcohol), and Fifteens (marshmallow, coconut and cherries dessert). In short, traveling around the country promises to be not only interesting, but also delicious!