Champ or Poundies: Mashed potatoes with green onion, with a well of butter in the
center.
Colcannon: Boiled cabbage and potatoes.
Coddle: A simple stew made from pork, sausage, potatoes and onions.
Crubeens (also Cruibins): Pig's feet (trotters) cooked with carrots, onions and spices or dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs and fried.
Irish potato: The standard white potato which originated in South America. It was called Irish potato by earlier American generations to distinguish it from sweet potatoes.
Irish boiled dinner: A stew of beef and boiled vegetables in a broth often with the addition of stout beer to strengthen flavor.
Irish stew: Another simple stew made of lamb or mutton, potatoes and onions, often with a measure of stout thrown in for added depth and flavor.
Irish whiskey: A light, dry whiskey made from a mash of fermented barley and other grains, made in Ireland.
Soda bread: This Irish classic is a quick bread which uses soda as a leavener. They can be either standard breads or sweet breads.
Stout: A strong, dark beer, with a strong hops flavoring made of dark-roasted barley, giving it a deep, dark color and bitter-sweet flavor, made famous by the Guinness brewery.
Corned Beef & Cabbage: Believe it or not it's not a traditional Irish dish.
The foods of Ireland have often been described as "bland," primarily due to the prolific use of potatoes and cabbage. Potatoes came to Ireland by way of South America, and by 1688, they had become a staple of the Irish diet. The Irish call potatoes "praties;" and according to food experts, a diet of potatoes and milk will supply all the nutrients the human body needs. The potato has long been considered a staple for the poor, and throughout their often difficult history,
impoverished Irish people have relied heavily on it for subsistence. Potatoes contain plentiful carbohydrates and some protein, calcium, and niacin. They are easy to grow and store. In 1845, a fungus disease hit the Irish potato crop, causing a famine which killed millions of people and forced over a million to emigrate primarily to the United States to escape starvation.
Oats were also a staple in the Irish diet, to feed not only the family, but to also support the livestock that worked the fields. Oatmeal porridge and oatmeal breads are perennial favorites. Ireland has now expanded and diversified its crops to include wheat, barley and sugar beets, in addition to the favored potatoes and oats. The fishing industry is also a major part of Irish life, and the Irish are fond of halibut, cod, trout, herring, salmon and haddock. Fish soups and pies are a large part of the
Irish diet.
It's almost impossible to mention Ireland and not think of the potato. Its dominance as a food was a major contributor to the plight of the Irish people during the Great Famine of the mid 1840's. This scrappy, grow-anywhere tuber has its origins in South America. It has been estimated that as long as 13,000 years ago the wild potato grew in the coastal areas of Chile. Seven thousand years ago the Andean people were growing the potato as
a crop, something the Europeans didn't do until some 30 years after the Spanish "discovered" it in 1536. The now ubiquitous tuber was considered a lowly, common food.
That the potato was viewed by Europeans as a food for the lower class is somewhat ironic. In time the potato would become more valuable than the gold and silver that the Spanish were searching for. Worldwide the potato harvest has been pegged at $100 billion.
When Columbus returned to Spain from his 1492 voyage one of the gifts he brought back for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella was the sweet potato. Oddly enough, this new world root caught on well with the royals and they may have even had gardens of sweet potatoes planted. It was their son-in-law King Henry the VIII who brought it to England, reportedly for
it's presumed use as an aphrodisiac.
It took the Irish people to recognize the "other" potato as a food staple in Europe. In the 1640's potatoes were being planted in Ireland and twenty-five years later were already a back-up crop with the ability to supplement their diet in time of shortages. If the grain crop failed the potato crop picked up the slack. The potato loves Ireland and the wet weather it's western countryside provides. If an unusually wet season destroyed the grain crops by flooding, the thirsty potato thrived. In time the Irish diet became more and more dependent on the potato.
This dependence was to turn to disaster in the first mass famine of 1740 when the grain crop failed and the winter was so cold it froze the potatoes in storage. One-hundred years later, during the seasons of 1845-49, it was the blight which was wreaking havoc on the potato crop
causing the Great Famine killing tens of thousands and driving many thousands more to emigrate. It wasn't until 1911 when a blight resistant strain of potato
was developed.
The potato has more wild relatives, upwards of 230, than any other domestic crop and is grown in more than one hundred countries. A member of the nightshade family its cousins include the tomato, sweet pepper, and eggplant.
According to the Idaho Potato Commission Americans consume an average of 142.7 pounds of potatoes per person every year. Of that, fresh potatoes make up 48 pounds and
French fries and hash browns lead the charge at 58.9 pounds and potato chips make up 16 pounds. Some other handy potato facts to keep in mind:
- Never use soft potatoes as this indicates they are over ripe and will be bitter
- Spuds like to be kept cool and dark, 50 degrees F is great(10 degrees C) but don't refrigerate them. This will cause the starch to convert to sugar and that will change the taste.
- Don't bake a potato in aluminum foil. This holds the moisture and steams the spud making it pasty. Wrap it in aluminum foil after baking to keep it warm.
- Before microwaving a potato make sure to poke it several times with a fork to vent the steam it will create.
Ask someone who hasn't lived in or visited Ireland about Irish food, and nine times out of ten they'll mention corned beef and cabbage. However, while corned beef and cabbage is sometimes eaten there, it's probably eaten a lot less than most people imagine.
From the earliest historical times pork was always the favorite meat dish in Ireland. Cattle were only slaughtered when they were no good any longer for milking, or for breeding purposes; otherwise, they were prized as a common medium for barter. The size of one's herd of cattle was an indication of status, wealth and power. Eating beef, except for that of a cow past its milking days or accidentally killed, was the cultural equivalent of lighting your cigars with hundred-dollar bills...unless you were a chieftain, or a king, in which case you could afford it.
In later centuries, the majority of Irish people still didn't eat very much beef -- because it was
much too expensive. Those who did eat beef, tended to eat it fresh: corned beef again surfaces in writings of the late 1600's as a specialty, a costly delicacy (expensive because of the salt) made to be eaten at Easter, and sometimes at Halloween.
Then other factors, tragic ones, made beef even rarer in the Irish diet - the Great Famine.
Many Irish, during that period, hardly ever got a taste of beef until after they emigrated to America or Canada, where both salt and meat were cheaper. There, when they got beef, they treated it the same way they would have treated a "bacon joint" at home in Ireland: they soaked it to draw off the excess salt, then braised or boiled it with cabbage, and served it in its own juices with only minimal spicing (a bay leaf or so, perhaps, and some pepper).
This dish, one which still turns up on some Irish tables at Easter, has become familiar to North Americans as the (usually) dreadfully overcooked glop which in many East Coast cities becomes unavoidable around Saint Patrick's Day. There's no indication why the association of corned beef slipped from Easter to the Saint's day, on the western side of the Atlantic. But one thing seems fairly certain: the basic understanding of the preparation of the dish has suffered over time.
Certainly there are enough places in Ireland which will be serving corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day, but most of them will be doing so with an eye to the tourist trade. To many Irish people, these days, the dish is too "poor" or plain to eat on a holiday: they'd sooner make something more festive. It can safely be said that corned beef and cabbage won't be served in many Irish homes on St. Patrick's Day.
One could start the day with Porridge with a dollop of cream or honey, followed by a full Irish breakfast fry consisting of Sausage, Bacon, Fried Eggs, Fried Tomatoes, Black Pudding, White Pudding Toast and Brown Soda Bread. To accompany this hearty Breakfast one would also present to the table an ample pot of fresh tea, marmalade and honey.
A typical traditional Dinner may consist of either an Irish Stew, Corned Beef and Cabbage served with mashed potato, or perhaps a coddle. On the healthier side one could opt for steamed or grilled fresh Salmon or trout with potatoes boiled in their jackets and served with real Irish butter or sour cream and chives.
A typical accompaniment to such a dinner would be a pint of stout such as Guinness or Murphy's.
The choice of food is not just limited to traditional fare however with the most excellent selection of Fresh Sea Food, meats, poultry, and game (when in season).
The following is a list of what would be considered traditional Irish recipes (those
that are at least fifty years old).
Soda bread, and variants on the basic theme
Oatcakes
Gingerbread Loaf
Seed Luncheon Loaf
Basic Scones
Apple Scones
Buttermilk Scones
Fruit Scones
Jam Scones
Porter Cake
Irish Whiskey Cake
Apple Fritters
Irish Omelet (aka "Wicklow Pancake")
Oatmeal Bacon Pancakes
Colcannon
Fresh Pea Soup
Sorrel Soup
Boiled Bacon And Cabbage
Irish Pot-Roasted Chicken
Beef and Stout Casserole
Potted Chicken
Baked Tripe
Chicken and Leek Pie*
"Dublin Lawyer"*
Thackeray's Lobster
Scallop Pie
Trout Baked in Wine
Mackerel with Rhubarb
Apple Mash
Champ (or Poundies)
Boxty (Potato Griddle Cakes)
Baked Parsnips
Braised Celery
Dressed Cabbage
Kale with Cream
Potato Pie Dessert
Potato and Apple Pudding
Apple and Barley Pudding
"Burnt" Oranges
Rutabaga Pudding
Donegal Oatmeal Cream
Apple Amber
Irish Stew or Lamb Stew
This is by no means a complete list - but only a sampling. If the
recipe's title contains "quick," "low-fat," or
"microwave," it's a sure bet that it's not a traditional recipe!
Irish stew is a filling, flavorful peasant dish made with the least-expensive, most readily-available ingredients. The Irish raised primarily sheep and root crops for subsistence. The sheep provided wool for warm clothing, milk for drinking and making cheese, and eventually food. Potatoes were the main food crop, prior to the potato famine.
Irish stew is traditionally made of lamb or mutton, potatoes, onions, and parsley. Often, lamb or mutton
neck bones, shanks, and other trimmings were the basis for the stock. The root vegetables added further flavor and thickening power, as well as filling sustenance. Some cooks added turnips or parsnips, carrots, and barley when available.
When the Irish people began immigrating to the United States to escape the potato famine, they naturally brought along their wonderful hearty food traditions. The stew evolved and adapted to include the local offerings. Sheep were not as plentiful, so other types of meat were often substituted. When made in the traditional manner, the result is very thick and hearty, not thin like soup. The recipe has even evolved to include Guinness stout. Some variations have exalted this original peasant dish to near gourmet status.
Prolong the Corned Beef Feast. In many parts of the world (though, oddly, not in Ireland) a corned beef feast is the thing to serve for St. Patrick's Day. Take advantage of the fact that corned beef will be on sale this month and stock up! Cook a few slabs of it at once, then slice or dice the meat, wrap it securely and tuck it into the freezer for the next time you've got a hankering for a Reuben sandwich or corned beef hash, or your soup or casserole needs a little perking up. Cooked corned beef will keep in the freezer for three months.
Fish for your Supper. Want to try something besides corned beef this year? Irish salmon, whose season actually opens on March 17th, is famous the world over. No complicated preparations are needed for this fresh, flavorful fish. And what else are they going to be devouring in the pubs and on the streets in Ireland? Fish and chips! Any white fish, like cod or haddock, will work. For perfect fried fish, dip it in thick beer batter and make sure the oil is hot enough before you begin! Serve simply with salt and malt vinegar.
Real Irish Coffee. Irish coffee was invented in the 1940's at an Irish port to give a little warmth and cheer to exhausted travelers in the middle of their long transatlantic journeys. To make a proper Irish coffee, start by warming up a stemmed glass with a swirl of hot water. Dump out the water and pour in a shot of Irish whiskey. Fill the glass 3/4 full with strong coffee and stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar. Next, whip some fresh cream just a little bit so that it's fluffy but still pourable. Slowly pour the whipped cream over the back of a spoon into the coffee, so that the cream remains floating on top. Don't stir! Serve the drink immediately so that everyone can enjoy the sensation of sipping the hot, sweet bite of the spiked coffee through the layer of cool, fluffy cream.
* Cut potatoes can be stored in cold water before cooking to prevent discoloration. However, to prevent loss of some of
the potatoes' water-soluble nutrients, potatoes should not sit in water for longer than two hours.
* Skin-on potatoes are easier to prepare and are healthier. Just wash thoroughly before using, scrubbing gently with a
vegetable brush or clean sponge before using.
* Wash potatoes carefully, and scrub gently with a vegetable brush if cooking with skins on.
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