Ireland is enjoying something of a culinary boom right now, with chefs across the nation producing amazing modern Irish cuisine. However, if you’re travelling to Ireland, you probably want to try some of the old classics that the country is known for. Ireland boasts some incredible coastline, meaning fresh seafood abounds. The bounteous green pastures also offer the finest lamb and beef. Here are some of the best dishes you must try when you visit Ireland:
Irish Stew
Traditional Irish stew is perhaps the most famous dish in the country. Using inexpensive and widely available ingredients such as potatoes, onions and carrots, this stew has been around for centuries and is perfect for cooking stiffer pieces of meat such as old goat meat for example. Most modern Irish restaurants today use lamb instead, with seasonings such as bay, parsley, and thyme to taste. Especially popular during the winter months, Irish stews are the best warm, home-cooked food.
Galway Oysters
The island is known for its fresh seafood, nowhere more so than the West of Ireland, which has the reputation for being home to the best oysters in the country. Galway oysters are recognised across the world for their fine quality and excellent taste. People travel from far and wide to enjoy the International Oyster and Seafood Festival and witness the Irish and World Opening Championships and sample some of the best shells that can be found in the Atlantic. Get here with Irish Airports like https://irelandwestairport.com/
Cockles and Mussels
This Dublin specialty has been immortalized in the city’s official song, ‘Molly Malone‘, which tells of a beautiful young woman who sells the fresh catch of the day on the streets. Both mussels and cockles can be found served in most traditional Irish eateries and are normally offered steamed and with chips.
Colcannon
Another dish making use of the highly underrated potato, colcannon is a dish of mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale. Seasoned with milk, butter, salt and pepper, this dish is generally served as a side with boiled ham or bacon. This is a sentimental dish for many Irish people and was even the subject of folk songs from the 19th-century. Colcannon will be available as a side dish in most authentic Irish restaurants.
Soda bread
Authentic recipes for Irish soda bread have long been handed down the generations. Soda bread is a form of fast bread, which means leavened with something other than yeast, in this case baking soda. Other ingredients are flour, butter milk and salt, making it a simple and fast recipe. Available in white and chocolate variations, soda bread makes a snack filling when coated with creamed Irish butter and is accompanied by a cup of tea.
Coddle
Originating in Dublin, coddle generally consists of leftovers from other foods such as sausages, bacon, onions and potatoes. Made by boiling the broth and steaming the ingredients in it, this dinner might sound like an afterthought, but it is delicious and loved by Dubliners and even has literary connections. It was said to be the favourite meal of Gulliver’s Travels writer Jonathan Swift. A true sign of the Dublin tradition, the meal even appears in the works of James Joyce.
