Ireland is where traditional flavors and modern gastronomy intertwine to create a vibrant and diverse food scene. From the finest lamb and beef in spring to fish and shellfish in summer, Irish stew and soul in winter, veggie-packed cuisines, creamy potatoes, and rich Irish butter at any time of the year, Ireland has everything to offer to its foodie visitors. So get ready for an amazing culinary tour of the emerald aisle.
Here is a list of some of the best Irish foods to try in Ireland, from local street shops to gourmet restaurants.
1. Irish Stew
Irish stew is a traditional native fish of Ireland made with homegrown rooted vegetables and hearty pieces of lamb. This traditional Irish dish is in many old and famous Irish restaurants and bars that serve authentic beef and Guinness stew. This is also the most favorable dish of Irish people on the day of St. Patrick's Day celebration.
2 . Irish Soda Bread
Soda bread is a star of every Irish family breakfast. This traditional bread is yeast-free and has many variations of recipes, varying from family to family. Sodium bicarbonate, buttermilk, salt, white flour, or whole-wheat flour are basic ingredients always intact in the recipe. Soda bread is often served with Irish butter, soup, scrambled eggs, and smoked salmon in many Irish pubs, cafes, and restaurants.
3. Boxty
Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake, a must-try dish if you are visiting Ireland. Though it traditionally belongs to the north of Ireland, its appetizing flavor has spread across the island. It is traditionally enjoyed on St. Brigid's Day. It can be enjoyed all year round and served with bacon, fried eggs, smoked salmon, or cream with a sprinkling of spring onion on top.
4. Irish Pudding
Pudding is another unique traditional Irish dish that is feasibly visible on every restaurant's menu. The Irish pudding has two types: black, a blood sausage that dates back to Roman times, and white, an oatmeal sausage that dates back to medieval times. The Irish pudding may be less known or common worldwide, but it's a star dish of traditional Irish breakfast served in many restaurants.
5. Coddle
Coddle, often known as a working-class dish, is a traditional Irish stew made with a whole week's leftovers. Coddle, as the name suggests, is a gently cooked dish made with leftovers such as slices of pork sausages, boiled bacon, sliced potatoes, and onions slowly and gently stewed for hours to bring the best taste. There are some amazing pubs and restaurants in the city serving fantastic traditional Irish cuisines where you will discover the authentic Irish coddle served with a slice of fresh Irish brown bread or soda bread.
6. Smoked Salmon
Smoked Salmon is one of the most popular Irish dishes to enjoy a flavourful protein intake and should be high on your must-try list. It can be discovered in all three meals of the day, best served with bread and scrambled eggs in the morning, on top of a salad for lunch, or with a boxty for an appetizing dinner. Many restaurants in Ireland offer a variety of flavorful smoked salmon like oak-smoked salmon, artisan beech smoked salmon, turf-smoked salmon, and beechwood-smoked salmon that are all worth looking out for.
7. Barmbrack
Barmbrack is a traditional Irish sweet bread that is especially associated with Halloween. Barmbrack has a great traditional significance with little surprises hidden inside as coins, trinkets, rings, etc., used for the game of fortune telling. For example, a coin inside symbolizes a wealthy future for the eaters. Barmbrack, which is available in stores, has a toy ring inside due to safety and health concerns.
8. Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd's pie is the famous Irish savory dish made with minced mutton or lamb, vegetables like carrot, onion, and celery, and topped with creamy mashed potato. The pie originated in Scotland and later came to Ireland, where the pie crust got swapped with mashed potatoes. A pie made with beef instead of lamb is called cottage pie. The meat is gently boiled in a gravy loaded with vegetables like carrots, peas, and onions, producing something delicious and satisfying.
9. Bangers and Mash
Bangers and Mash is another classic Irish dish with roots in Ireland, though it is a staple of English cuisine. It has been a famous dish in many Irish and British pubs. During World War II, meat was scarce, so people produced sausages by putting more water in the meat and named it "bangers" as it was more likely to explode while frying. And the word "mash" comes from the mashed potatoes served with sausages. A combination of sausages, creamy mashed potatoes, and delicious sauce is a simple yet mouth-watering meal to satisfy your hunger.
10. Fish Pie
Fish pie, similar to Shepherd's pie but with fish rather than beef or lamb, is a delicious Irish meal. This traditional dish will give you the taste of Irish comfort food and is the most preferred dish on St Patty's Day. Irish Pie is made with a creamy base of fresh and smoked fish like salmon, cod, and haddock in a cheddar sauce or white sauce and topped with buttery mashed potatoes.
11. Fish Supper
Fish supper originated in England and is an old-time star in many Irish pubs, restaurants, and local fish and chip shops. It's a perfect meal made favorably fish most favorably of haddock or pollock, covered with a mixture of flour, egg, and milk, deep fried until it gets flaky and crunchy, and then served with freshly cut potato chips.
12. Boiled Bacon and Cabbage
Bacon and cabbage is the most traditional and famous dish in Ireland. The most preferred dish on St. Patrick's Day consists of cabbage and potatoes with sliced back bacon. The simpler and boring it sounds, the more delicious it is. This dish is made by simmering a salted pork shoulder boiled with onion, carrots, cabbage, and herbs, finished with a creamy parsley sauce is worth a try.
13. Irish butter
Irish butter is a flavorful, rich butter made of milk from summer grass-fed cows, making it more delicious and nutritional. Irish butter has a higher fat content and a lower water count than usual American butter. This bright yellow butter is naturally softer, creamier, and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, making it a better option for your healthy and tasty morning breakfast.
14. Oyster
Ireland is home to some of the best oysters in the world, especially on the west coast, which has an ideal environment for oyster farming. Three types of oysters have been eaten and cultivated for many years in Ireland: the Portuguese rock oysters, the native or European flat oysters, and the Pacific oysters. The Irish people love to enjoy oysters with a spoon of Guinness or else with Tabasco sauce or pickled onion. Some also prefer to have it in Korean style with a pinch of kimchi. Ireland also has an amazing festival called Galway International Oyster Festival, which is ideal for seafood lovers to enjoy some delicious oysters and other seafood in a festive environment.
15. Corned Beef
If you are looking for traditional Irish cuisine for your dinner, then corned beef should be on your foodie list. The Irish settlers brought the corned beef and cabbage tradition to the US, wanting to enjoy the home tastes of Ireland around St. Patrick’s Day. They used beef brisket for this, the most affordable for them since bacon was costly and the new Irish traditional cuisine was born.
16. Guinness Chocolate Cake
Guinness Cake, which originated in Ireland, is an amazing party dessert of Ireland for St. Patrick's Day and a decadent manifestation of Irish beer. This delicious spongy cake has a sweet, malty, and slightly bitter flavor because of the Guinness stout beer. A slice of this delicious cake served with chilled Guinness would be a great dessert for your St. Patrick's Day party.
17. Potato Soup
Potato soup is a creamy traditional Irish dish that is simple and easy to make with ingredients like potato, onion, stock, butter, cream or milk, freshly chopped chives, and salt and pepper mixed in a single bowl. During the 1800s in Ireland, people mostly ate vegetarian meals consisting of stews and soup. So, a slowly cooked potato soup was an obvious choice. This hearty, nutritious soup is a favorite for St. Patrick's Day and enough to make you feel warm and cozy from inside on a cold winter or rainy day.
18. Colcannon
Colcannon, which means 'White-headed Cabbage' in Irish, is a traditional Irish potato dish and a Halloween and St. Patrick's favorite. It's a blend of creamy mashed potatoes, fresh cabbage or kale, butter, milk, and spring onion that is simple to make flavorsome dishes enjoyed by Irish people all year round. It is best to serve with soda bread, bacon, beef, or ham to elevate your flavorful experience.
19. Steak and Guinness Pie
Steak and Guinness Pie is a modern traditional dish passed down from generation to generation, and it is a favorite beef dish to try on St. Patrick's Day. The flavourful combination of steak and Guinness is what makes this savory pie rich and delicious. The pie loaded with onions, beef, carrots, Guinness Stout, and hubs is a complete meal for a cold autumn day.
20. Irish Shortbread
Irish Shortbread is a rich, buttery, delicious Irish cookie, an all-time breakfast favorite from the 1500s. This traditional Irish cookie is a mix of butter, flour, and sugar that is crisp from the outside and tender from the inside and easily melts in your mouth. It is said to be Queen Victoria's choice of cookie, and no wonder now it is a choice of many Irish people and cafes.
Traditional Irish food is simple yet hearty, with abundant local fresh produce as the key to its flavors. Ireland is an ideal place to raise cattle, pigs, and sheep due to its temperate climate, allowing pastures to grow more grass for longer. This is also the reason behind plenty of Irish meat and dairy industry. So be sure to add traditional Irish food to your travel plan, fill your plate with these irresistible dishes, and fill your heart with warmth and flavors.