Slavic and Irish cuisine are very similar. Both are based on vegetables, bread and meat. And even some traditional Old Slavic dishes are prepared according to recipes similar to Irish ones.
All over the world, it is believed that Ireland is a country of pubs with a variety of beer. Specific Irish coffee and potato dishes are also heard. Probably because all these are business cards of the Emerald Isle for tourists, and the original cuisine of the Irish is much broader and more varied.
In ancient times, oats, barley, carrots, beets, turnips, and celery were the basis of food on this land. For desserts and snacks, they used nuts, berries and all the herbs that the land of modern Ireland generously endowed its people with.
- Irish and bread
The table was undoubtedly made nourishing by bread, to which there was a special attitude. Irish bread is prepared mainly with various leavens, which in this country are considered better than yeast. And flour in Ireland is specific – soft and sticky. Different types of flour are often added to bread – oatmeal, barley, and also potatoes. The famous Irish dessert Goody is prepared from the finished bread – slices of bread are boiled in milk with sugar and spices.
- Irish and meat
Meat in Ireland was not always available to the poor – on their tables there were only offal, blood and occasionally poultry meat, more often game caught with their own hands. Meat and fish dishes were held in high esteem due to their inaccessibility, and the most delicious dishes were prepared on their basis. For example, black pudding (black pudding), to which oats, barley and the blood of any animals were added.
There is even a controversial fact that the Irish, in order to have a quick meal, bled a cow and drank it mixed with milk. The bloodwort was not necessarily prepared – it was also consumed raw. Today, black pudding is part of the traditional Irish breakfast, albeit according to improved recipes with unusual ingredients – cheeses, spices and herbs.
Their tails, ears, buds and scraps prepared interesting dishes. So, until now the Irish snack “Crubins” drives visiting tourists crazy. And it is prepared from pork legs – difficult, long, but worth it!
Today in Ireland there is no shortage of meat, and even, on the contrary, excessive consumption of red meat has become a matter of national importance. Even the Irish have a very hearty and high-calorie breakfast: puddings, fatty toasts, bacon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, beans, potato bread. All this, of course, affects the health of the nation.
- Irish and fish
Fish, like meat, is also receiving more attention in Ireland. Restaurants and home kitchens also serve crabs, shrimps, lobsters, oysters and even seaweed. One of Ireland’s famous dishes is the Dublin Lawyer. It is made from lobster meat with cream and alcohol.
Ireland is a country of festivals, but not only of beer festivals, but also of eating certain products. One of such high-profile festivals is the oyster festivals, where an uncountable number of oysters are eaten.
Red algae are popular in Ireland, which, in their composition, are very useful for the human body. Dulce seaweed is dried in the sun, then finely ground and added as a seasoning to hot dishes. The second option for eating algae is chips with cheese, which are eaten as a snack or added to dough and meat dishes.
- Irish and potatoes
Of course, the potato-eating tales in Ireland are based on true facts. Potatoes appeared in this country in the 16th century and became the basis for the nutrition of peasants and their livestock. The Irish were so accustomed to this nutritious product that the potato crop failure caused almost famine throughout the country, while other food items were available.
Among the famous potato dishes in Ireland is boxy. These are bread or pancakes made from grated potatoes or mashed potatoes, flour, oil and water. The dish is boiled, baked or fried, and despite its simplicity, it tastes very delicate.
From mashed potatoes, the Irish often prepare champ – airy mashed potatoes whipped with milk, butter and green onions, or kolcannon – mashed potatoes with cabbage.
Potatoes are the most common takeout lunch for the office. For example, boiled, fried and baked potatoes in one plate. Or fish and chips – fried fish and fries. Wealthy Irish people can afford a dish called koddle, a stew with vegetables, bacon and sausage.
Ireland’s most famous dish, stew, is also made with potatoes. The stew recipe varies according to the taste of the housewives who prepare it, and often it contains leftovers of meat, vegetables, and canned foods that are in the refrigerator.
- Irish and desserts
Traditional Irish desserts are unusual for our tourists. Most often they are prepared using sour berries – currants, blueberries or gooseberries, sour apples or rhubarb. The desserts in this country are very heavy due to the large amount of butter and butter creams.
Jelly is made from red Irish moss. To do this, moss is boiled in milk, sugar and spices are added, and then gelled. It turns out the most delicate panacotta.
It was in Ireland that the famous recipe for a tender, but at the same time brutal, cake was born, the dough for which is kneaded with dark beer.
- Irish and drinks
Traditional Irish drinks are based on ancient recipes. It is a honey drink similar to wine. It is prepared by fermenting honey to a strength of 8-18% and can be dry, sweet, semi-sweet, even sparkling.
Another Irish drink is whiskey, single malt or single grain. This is a unique variety that is prepared on the basis of green barley and malt.
The symbol of Ireland is Guinness beer. According to legend, the correct “Guinness” should be so dark that only light reflected by a real diamond can penetrate through it. On the basis of their favorite beer, the Irish prepare many cocktails, mixing it with champagne cider, vodka, port, and milk.
Irish coffee is distinguished by its strength and is a mixture of whiskey and black coffee. I add brown sugar and cream to it.
On the basis of whiskey and coffee, the famous Irish liqueur is also prepared with the addition of delicate cream and ice. It is customary to add spicy local herbs and honey to liqueurs – these recipes from Ireland are known all over the world.
In Northern Ireland, the world’s strongest drink is prepared – potin (Irish moonshine). It is made from potatoes, sugar and yeast and is banned in the rest of Ireland.