If you’re looking to get your food on the map, you’ve come to the right place. Here we cover the basics of Irish cuisine, including Guinness, Corned beef, and Drisheen. But before we get into the specifics, you’ll need to know what the Irish call their food. Whether you call it chowder, stew, or something else, there’s an Irish food dish for you.
Bread
While Irish dishes have long been served at home, bread is a staple in the country’s cuisine. The Irish diet consists primarily of bread, fresh milk, cheese, and anlann (dough balls). Foods were often served with grains. Before the potato became popular in the early sixteenth century, grains formed the majority of the Irish diet. Most of these were prepared as porridge or bread. Bread was traditionally a flatbread made from ground oats. These flatbreads were either wafer-thin like chapati or a thicker loaf, like a pancake. Other popular breads included oatcakes.
Guinness
The Irish food staple of Guinness, the world’s most popular beer, was founded in 1759. The Irish drank the beer as a staple during the Industrial Revolution, and the company has enjoyed worldwide success since. The name Guinness is derived from the Irish language, which means “beer,” and it was nicknamed “meal in a cup” because of its rich, thick texture. One pint contains 125 calories. The brand used a slogan that stated “Guinness is good for you” in the 1920s. The slogan was eventually abandoned due to restrictions on medical claims.
Corned beef
Although it is a delicacy from the United States, corned beef has an Irish origin. Irish immigrants brought their favorite foods to the Americas during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. Among these foods was corned beef. This delicacy was a luxury in Ireland because it was too expensive for the Irish to eat. Instead, the Irish relied on other sources of protein, including pork and dairy products. Salt pork, a close relative of bacon, was very inexpensive in Ireland and later, in the United States.
Drisheen
Drisheen is a traditional type of black pudding that is popular in Ireland. It is made from animal blood and is traditionally served with tripe. It is also known as blood sausage or blood pudding. It is made in a sausage-like shape and is usually served hot. The recipe calls for a combination of milk, blood, salt, and oatmeal. It is then seasoned with pepper and mace. The intestine is often used as the casing, but ready-made sausage casing can also be used.
White sausages
Black pudding is a traditional Irish dish, but you can find white sausages only at delis. Irish cooking is often based on blood sausages. The recipes in most cookbooks are written by Americans using foreign words and measuring systems, and the spelling is often spelled incorrectly. White sausages are usually sold as links, so the recipe below calls for two types. Here are some recipes for black pudding and white sausage.
Oysters
When you think of oysters, you might think of the American variety, but the Irish ones are the real deal. Irish oysters have a smooth, solid shell and a pearly white interior. They have a deep cup and are grown in pristine peat bogs in the Burren region. These oysters are renowned all over the world, but they are particularly unique to Ireland. Oyster farming has been going on for 25 years in Ireland.
Fish pie
A traditional Irish dish, fish pie is a delicious, filling meal made with fish and potatoes. It’s a traditional Irish food and can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. It’s best to bake the pie for about 35 minutes. When it’s ready, remove it from the oven and add the crisp topping if desired. Alternatively, you can serve it cold. Cooked fish is an excellent addition to a fish pie.
