Irresistible Irish food and drink you probably haven't tried
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Irish foods and drinks to try
On March 17 many people across the world will don green and grab a pint of Guinness to celebrate Ireland’s biggest holiday, St Patrick’s Day. And although the Irish dry stout is Ireland’s most well-known export, there are many more foods and drinks to come out of the Emerald Isle. Here are some you should also try.
Breakfast roll
Wanting a big Irish fried breakfast but don’t have time to sit down and eat it? No problem. Put it all in a bread roll and eat it as an Irish breakfast roll on the run. It can have whatever you want in it from baked beans, breakfast sausages and eggs to hash browns. The Irish breakfast roll has even been the basis of a chart-topping song by comedian Pat Shortt. The song explains the makings of a jumbo breakfast roll. Only in Ireland.
Bacon and cabbage
This basic dish that doesn’t sound too appetizing is an Irish dinnertime staple. Traditionally the salted pork would have been soaked overnight before being boiled, with the cabbage added to the cooking pot in the last 10 minutes. Classically served with a silky parsley sauce.
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Black and white pudding
The Irish discovered the delights of black pudding, made from pork meat, fat and blood mixed with barley, suet and oatmeal in an intensely-flavored sausage. They also enjoy white pudding (without the blood), which isn’t as popular across the globe but no full Irish breakfast would be complete without a slice of each.
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Boxty
Also known as a potato dumpling, potato pancake or potato bread, the name boxty originates from the Irish phrase ‘arán bocht tí’, meaning poor-house bread. It’s made with grated raw potato that’s mixed with mashed potato. The potato is then either mixed with flour and salt and boiled, added to a pancake-like batter before being fried, or baked in a loaf tin and then sliced and fried. Boxtys can be served with anything from bacon and eggs to smoked salmon and crème fraîch.
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Irish stew
This one-pot dish was traditionally made with mutton, slowly stewed for hours until the meat was tender, with onions, potatoes and possibly carrots. But these days it’s more likely to have Irish stew with lamb, herbs and stock added for depth of flavor.
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Colcannon and champ
Colcannon and champ are both traditional Irish dishes using mashed potato. Colcannon is a comforting mash of potatoes, cabbage or kale and butter or cream, flavored with spring onions, salt, and pepper. It is often eaten with boiled ham or Irish bacon. Champ is similar: mashed potatoes with scallions, leeks or chives, milk and butter.
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Soda bread
Families across Ireland have been passing down their recipes for soda bread for centuries. It’s generally hand-written on flour-crusted paper placed between the pages of a much-loved cook book. The basic ingredients are bicarbonate of soda, buttermilk and flour. It can be sweet with a spoonful of honey, sugar or dried fruits, or savory with seeds, bran and oats. Some even like it with treacle, a molasses-type syrup, and Guinness.
Superquinn sausages
Universally known as the best sausages, Ireland’s Superquinns are iconic with a long-lasting popularity. There are even online photo galleries dedicated to explaining why the sausages are the best in the world. They’re so popular that the shop SuperValu estimated it sold more than 30 tons of the sausages a day in 2011, with that number steadily increasing over the years.
Crisp sandwich
Whether it’s called a crisp sandwich, chip sandwich, chipwich, potato chip sandwich, crisp sarnie or chippy sandwich – it’s an undisputed Irish food gem. Made from two pieces of white bread with lashings of butter and your choice of crisps. To do it right the Irish way, use any flavored King or Tayto potato chips.
Brunch ice cream
This vanilla and strawberry-flavored ice cream covered in biscuit crumble is the epitome of summer in Ireland. It’s one of those ice creams that every Irish person knows and loves as it brings back childhood memories of sunny days.
Kimberley, Mikados and Coconut Creams
Having launched in 1850, the Jacob’s Biscuit brand has been a firm part of the fabric in Irish society ever since. The iconic Kimberley, Mikados and Coconut Cream biscuits incorporate a unique combination of mallow and biscuit. This family of biscuits is quintessentially Irish and the trinity of biscuits holds a fond place in Irish culture and heritage.
Purple Snacks
Made by Cadbury, Snack bars, or Purple Snacks as they are better known, have a chocolate center that’s sandwiched between biscuits and covered in milk chocolate. It’s become the ideal snack to accompany a hot cup of tea.
Jameson-aged stout
Even though Guinness is the iconic Irish beer the world over, there are plenty of microbrews that are giving the popular stout a run for its money. There’s been a microbrewery boom in Ireland with more than 300 craft beers on offer at the Irish Craft Beer & Cider Festival celebrated annually in September. A must try is the Jameson-aged stout, an International Beer Challenge gold medal winner, which is a stout that’s matured in whiskey barrels.
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Chipsticks
Chipsticks were created in 1971 by Irish potato chip company Tayto. You’ll have chunks of the crunchy corn sticks in your teeth for hours afterwards. They have a tangy salt and vinegar flavor and are a firm Irish favorite.
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Shortcross gin
It’s no secret that the Irish like a tipple and gin distilleries are also flourishing across Ireland. A popular favorite is the Shortcross gin made by Rademon Estate Distillery in Downpatrick, County Down. Awarded silver at the 2016 International Wine & Spirits Competition, Shortcross gin incorporates apples, elderberries and wild clover with classic botanicals such as juniper.
Barmbrack
Barmbrack is a fruity tea loaf served smothered in butter with a nice cup of tea. Although it’s served all year round, at Halloween tradition says you’d find a charm in your slice foretelling the future. The charm could be a rag for bad luck or poverty, a ring to be wed within a year, a pea to avoid getting married within a year, a coin to bring wealth and a stick to have quarrels.
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TK Lemonade
Having originated in 1888, this is one of the first carbonated lemonades to be made in Ireland. The iconic red lemonade was the first blend made by TK, followed by white and orange.
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YR brown sauce
Since 1933 YR brown sauce has been an Irish favorite. The ingredients include a varying combination of tomatoes, molasses, dates, apples, tamarind, spices, vinegar, and sometimes raisins or anchovies. It’s traditionally drizzled on full breakfasts, bacon sandwiches, chips and baked beans.
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Chicken fillet rolls
This dish is the perfect greasy hangover cure that’s been a popular staple in college students’ diets after a big night out. Often sold by fish and chip shops, the roll is made with chicken breast, coleslaw, cheddar cheese, tomato, onion and a sauce or relish.
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Coddle
Historically a working-class dish in Dublin, the name coddle refers to the slow simmering or ‘coddling’ of ingredients in a one-pot stew. The leftovers at the end of the week would be slowly stewed in the oven for hours, with slices of pork sausage, bacon rashers or leftover boiled bacon and sliced potatoes and onions.
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Blaas
These doughy white bread rolls made in Waterford and County Kilkenny are a staple in Irish homes. They’re sold in two varieties, soft or crusty. Soft blaas are slightly sweet, malt flavored and firm in texture while the crusty versions are crunchy at first bite then chewy with a subtle malt taste and a bitter aftertaste from the well-cooked dark crust.
Spice bags
A spice bag is a popular takeout meal that has taken Ireland by storm. Inspired by Asian cuisine, it’s a mixture of crispy chicken or chicken balls, chips and a blend of spices served in a bag.
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Cidona
Originally produced by Bulmers, this apple-based soft drink has been on sale in Ireland since 1955 and is still popular today. It comes in distinctive green bottles and has become a mixer in many cocktail recipes made in Irish bars.
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Ballymaloe Country Relish
Launched in 1990, Ballymaloe Country Relish has become one of Ireland’s favorite condiments to add to a burger or sandwich, or eaten with cheese. Ballymaloe produces about 14 different relishes, dressings and jelly which are all truly Irish in nature and flavor. Some are even made using Guinness.
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Wexford strawberries
When driving down the Irish countryside in summer you’ll catch glimpses of bright red wild Wexford strawberries growing on the side of the road. Grown by family farmers, the sweet juicy strawberries are synonymous across Ireland and form the basis for many summer recipes.
Irish salmon
A rare treat in Ireland now, wild salmon is considered a far more superior fish to that of its farmed cousins. If on a menu, it’s a must-try with the best months from April to June. Traditionally it’s poached and served with a white sauce, potatoes and spring greens.
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Fresh fish and chips
Although it’s not strictly a unique Irish creation, Ireland definitely has decent fish and chip shops, or chippers as the Irish call them. Some of the best chippers serve fish picked up from boats just yards away.
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Shellfish
If you’re visiting Ireland outside of summer, the downside is you’re less likely to see the sun but the plus side is feasting on the West coast’s plump native oysters. They come into season in September when the Galway Oyster Festival is held. Shellfish is dominant in Irish cuisine from clams in Connemara, to Molly Malone’s famed cockles and mussels, and Dublin Bay prawns.
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Tanora
This tangerine-flavored carbonated drink is a Cork favorite. In 2011 the drink was reformulated with new flavorings and new packaging but wasn’t as well received as the original. So the traditional tangerine made a return and remains as a popular soft drink to this day.
Gubbeen cheese
Dairy farms across Ireland are producing some great cheeses, including Gubbeen Farm near West Cork. The farm makes effectively one cheese, the Gubbeen, which has a smoked oak flavor. The cheese can be bought young and lactic or matured.
O'Flynn's Gourmet Sausages
These award-winning sausages are made by third-generation family members who have built on decades-old recipes traditionally made with ingredients sourced from the Munster region. The sausages on offer cater to just about every taste, from the traditional breakfast banger to more adventurous continental spicy Italian sausages. The sausages are sold at the English Market in Cork City or at its shop on Winthrop Street in the heart of Cork.