Ireland Wine & Food
Explore Ireland’s rich, bounteous larder and discover a raft of excellent fresh produce, glisteningly fresh seafood, and some of the best fine dining in Europe.
Guinness is obviously Ireland’s most famous stout, but you can try other equally delicious brands, such as Murphy’s and Beamish. A recent phenomenon is micro-brewery pubs, which are well worth checking out for their distinctive and unique beers. And don’t forget about Irish whiskey with big names like Bushmills, Paddy and Jameson.
What’s on the menu?
Ireland is justly famous for its seafood with smoked salmon, smoked fish, oysters, mussels and crab topping the bill. But it’s not just fish that gives Ireland its reputation – the country also produces excellent lamb, beef and pork, too.
Finally, it would be foolish to miss out on some of the country’s top produce including black pudding, homemade candy, farmhouse cheese, soda bread and, of course, Guinness and maybe a drop of whiskey!
What foods are typically Irish?
For a start there’s soda bread – a delicious brown bread that uses soda instead of yeast. It’s particularly nice slathered with butter and smoked salmon! Black pudding, farmhouse cheeses and handmade chocolates are also hugely popular, while you’ll find the quality of Irish pork, beef and lamb is second to none. And for something really unforgettable, opt for some seafood – there’s nothing quite like a bowl of steaming fresh mussels, bright white crab claws or quivering oysters – all washed down, of course, with an obligatory pint of Guinness.
The first recorded Irish cuisine was based on meat and dairy products, supplemented with seafood in coastal regions and the odd vegetable gathered from the wild. This diet remained the same until the arrival of the Normans in the 8th century after which the Irish no longer had free reign to hunt wherever they pleased.
Households began growing their own vegetables with this practice the standard of living improved and the wealth of new dishes increased greatly. Livestock was the main currency of the times and in general the Irish dined well on meat and vegetables. In fact some claim that only in the last 50 years the quality of the Irish diet has returned to what it was at the start of the eighth century.
The introduction of the potato from the "New World" marked a big change for the Irish and it quickly became a staple food. Even today no Irish meal is considered complete without potatoes.
Today Irish chefs are noted for their ability to turn simple local produce into hearty flavoursome dishes. The Irish countryside supplies some of the world's best lamb, the clear oceans south of Ireland supply an abundance of seafood, and the southern counties of Cork and Limerick provide the country with everything from grains to strawberries, and some of the most creamy dairy products you will ever have the pleasure of tasting.
The Southwest of Ireland is gaining a reputation for a distinctive style of Irish cooking - a blend of French cooking and traditional Irish dishes made with local products. Some of the finest Irish cooking: crusty soda breads, fresh oysters, succulent lamb, and delectable cheeses can be found in the fine country houses that serve up a hearty fare that is not to be missed.
