The UK's favourite foods: Northern Ireland

Our culinary trip around the UK continues across the water to Northern Ireland - take a look at our favourites and vote for yours.

We’re now in the fourth week of our hunt to find the UK’s favourite foods, and after Scotland, Central regions, and the North East, this week we’ve crossed the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland.

Here's a reminder of what we’re doing. Each week we nominate five foods from a different part of the UK, roughly aligned with The Great British Menu episodes. We think these foods are either quintessentially linked to the area through history, or they are more modern staples that began in that region, with many subsequently spreading in popularity throughout the rest of the isles.

We’ll then invite you to vote for your favourite of our choices – and disagree vehemently with what we've come up with in the Comments section. Voting will remain open for each region until May 29. Then the top choice from each region will go forward into a national vote to decide the UK’s favourite food.

Northern Irish nosh

Possibly the least well known of the home nations, but the stunning landscape of Northern Ireland produces some tasty dishes. Here's our top five favourites.

The Ulster fry

This breakfast forms part of the United Kingdom of Fry Ups, along with the traditional Full English, the Full Scottish (which can include haggis and white pudding) and the Full Welsh (which includes lava bread and cockles). The Ulster fry sees the usual eggs, bacon and sausage augmented by the addition of soda bread, boxty or potato bread and a wheaten farl. That’ll set you up for the day, if not the day after too.

Irish stew

Enjoyed both sides of the border, this hearty lamb stew traditionally uses hogget or mutton for a fuller flavour.

Champ

Mash potato with style. Champ – again found all over Ireland – sees spuds mashed with spring onion (add cabbage or kale instead of spring onions and it becomes colcannon). Best topped with a few knobs of butter, which melt to form little pools. Try our recipe here.

Yellow Man

Little known outside the province, this honeycombed sticky toffee is traditionally found at the Lammas fair, held at the end of summer. It’s been on the Great British Menu before - Niall McKenna served it with Lavender Ice cream, and his (rather complex) recipe is here. There’s an easier one here too, though.

Ardglass potted herrings 

Ardglass potted herrings see the little fish marinated in vinegar and rolled up into tight coils, sometimes with a bay leaf at the centre. So far they’re similar to a roll mop, but Ardglass potted herrings are then cooked, and sometimes topped with breadcrumbs.

Cast your vote

Do you agree with our choices? What should have been nominated? Have your say in the Comments section.

More tasty morsels

The UK's favourite foods: Scotland

The UK’s favourite foods: Central regions

The UK’s favourite foods: The North East 

Image by Sean MacEntee used under Creative Commons