There's an Irish proverb that goes,  "There are only two things in the world you shouldn't joke about: marriage and potatoes." Potatoes are to Ireland what rice and steamed bread are to Ireland, a staple on most Irish tables. Centuries of cultivation have instilled a deep affection for this crop, a sweet treat that has captured not only the Irish stomach but also their hearts.

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       The influence of potatoes on the hearts of Irish people remains unparalleled. Known as the "underground apple," potatoes possess both high nutritional and medicinal value. Potatoes are used in a wide variety of Western cuisines, including roasting, boiling, frying, grilling, and preparing into French fries, chips, mashed potatoes, hash browns, gravy, soups, stews, and the classic Irish dish, coleslaw. It's not uncommon to see two or three different potato dishes on an Irish table.

There are six common types of potatoes found in Irish supermarkets:

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1. Queens

If you want to make baked potatoes, Queen is your best choice. The crispy skin of the baked potato is also a delicious enjoyment.

2. Baby Potatoes

Baby potatoes are firmer than most, so they're great for salad potatoes. They also come in varieties like Charlotte and Emily!

3. Golden Wonder

Golden Wonder potatoes are great for baking, but they fall apart when cooked, so they're not ideal for mashing.

4.  Maris Piper

With their golden yellow skin and creamy white inside, they have great flavour and rarely change colour when cooked, making them one of the best potato varieties to try. In fact, they are the most popular potato variety in Ireland.

5.  Rooster

Rooster potatoes are a great choice for making chips or fries because they're moister and firmer than other varieties. They're also easier to peel because they're more uniform in shape and less bumpy. You'll recognize them by their pink skin. I usually use them for stews like eggplant and beans because they're larger and easier to cut.

6.Kerr’s Pink

Kerr's Pink has an earthier flavor than other varieties, with the Irishman explaining that "you either like it or you don't." But if you like their flavor, they make great baked potatoes or mashed potatoes.

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       In fact, the Irish, including a large number of foreigners, do not eat at different times like morning, noon and night. They will eat whenever they are hungry. As long as it is tea, potatoes, soda bread, and one or two fish, it can be considered a meal in Ireland. The traditional Irish breakfast is extremely rich: including Irish sausage, bacon, black pudding, white pudding, eggs, medium-cooked potatoes and boiled potatoes, Irish beans, white peppers, Irish butter and Dubliner cheese.

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        Traditionally, the Irish enjoy a . For some, breakfast also includes oatmeal, bacon, and eggs. Around eleven o'clock, most people stop for a "snack" to eat with their tea, and sometimes with coffee. The main meal is usually served around one o'clock and might include a hot fish and vegetable soup or casserole. Either dish is served with soda bread, potato bread, or hash browns. Irish stout or fresh buttermilk are possible beverages, and pudding is a possible dessert. Tea in the late afternoon might include some small sandwiches and cakes, or even a dish of hot fish. Dinner, around eight o'clock in the evening, is light .

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Here are some common Irish delicacies.

1. Irish Mashed Potatoes Colcannon

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       Irish cabbage and mashed potatoes consist of cabbage or kale mixed with mashed potatoes, although different regions of Ireland may use seaweed, nettles, or wild garlic. Stir the melted leeks and garlic into the dark-streaked cabbage and mashed potatoes. Wash a thin leek thoroughly (as it may contain a lot of dirt), slice it finely, and add it to a frying pan with butter. Cook over low heat, adding a little water if the leek begins to brown. Once softened, stir in a large handful of shredded Lacinato cabbage and a clove of chopped garlic, then cover and cook until the cabbage is tender but not dry. Meanwhile, boil, peel, and mash the potatoes. Season the cabbage and leek mixture with salt and pepper, then mix it into the mashed potatoes. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary, and top with a small piece of butter.

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2. Soda Bread

       Bread is also an essential food in this country, so the second Irish delicacy we bring to you is: Irish soda bread. Irish soda bread is one of the representative foods of this country. This bread is very different from the bread we usually eat. The texture is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It is very delicious.

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practice:

3. Add buttermilk (or unsweetened yogurt), then stir with a spatula to form a rough batter. Use a spatula to quickly stir the batter in the bowl for about 30 seconds. The batter will become significantly smoother after stirring. Do not over-stir, otherwise the texture of the finished product may be too rough.

4. Line the baking pan with baking paper, then pour the batter into the baking pan to make it into a round dough (the batter is sticky, so use a spatula to scrape the batter from the basin into the baking pan)

7. The bread can be eaten after it has cooled down. The bread in the picture is the result of putting butter on the cutting edge. After baking, the whole cutting edge will expand significantly.

8. Because there is very little sugar and oil, if you don’t like the taste, you can slice the bread and eat it with yogurt or jam

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3. Shepherd 's Pie

       When it comes to Irish cuisine, first of all, the country's eating habits are somewhat similar to those of the UK, with a focus on vegetables, potatoes, and beef. Bread is also a favorite of the Irish. So, the first Irish dish I recommend is Shepherd's Pie. This dish, which combines meat and vegetables, is simple to prepare and tastes absolutely perfect.

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Material:

A. Minced meat

2 pounds of potatoes

1 tablespoon butter

appropriate amount of milk 

salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

practice:

1. Pour olive oil into the pan, then add butter. After the butter melts, add chopped onion and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add the lamb/beef filling and stir-fry together.

2. When the meat filling is cooked, add flour, then add salt to taste, and then add your favorite spices and seasonings

3. Add freshly ground black pepper and garlic to the meat filling. Stir-fry evenly and then add water to cover 1/2 of the meat filling. Cook over low heat.

4. The meat filling will start to become thick after about 3 minutes of cooking. Turn off the heat after the meat filling and the soup are all absorbed. After turning off the heat, add the vegetable pieces and mix them with the meat filling. It is ready for use.

5. Peel the potatoes and put them in a pot, fill it with water, add a little salt, and cook until the potatoes are soft and can be easily crushed with a spoon. Turn off the heat, drain the water, add butter and stir evenly.

6. After adding butter, the mashed potatoes are already quite sticky. Pour milk into the mashed potatoes to adjust the consistency. Season with salt and black pepper. You can directly use a spoon or spatula to mash the mashed potatoes.

7. Place a layer of meat filling on the baking tray, then spread mashed potatoes on top and smooth it out, make some marks and sprinkle a small amount of chili powder on it. Bake in the oven at 230 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes, until the skin is crispy.

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4. Dublin Coddle

      Like shepherd's pie, Dublin coddle is a traditional Irish stew. It's a working-class Irish dish typically slow-cooked for hours with ham (Irish bacon), potatoes, onions, carrots, and herbs, along with pork sausage. This quick and easy stew has no set recipe and is often served with soda bread or Irish brown bread.

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5. Irish Beef Stew

      Ireland boasts a warm and humid climate and a long tradition of dispersed farming. Vast grasslands grow almost year-round, allowing sheep and cattle to graze freely on the abundant pastures. It's no surprise, then, that Ireland is able to produce wholesome, tender, delicious, and authentically flavored food. The famous Irish stew (lamb and beef) is a surprising and memorable experience, demonstrating how simple a stew can be.

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Material:

Angus beef brisket 500g

1 potato

1 onion

1 carrot

6 cloves of garlic

600ml beef broth

150ml each of Irish stout and red wine

300ml water

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 spoon of black pepper

1 tablespoon of sugar

Butter, chopped parsley, thyme, and a little bay leaf

practice:

1. Defrost the beef brisket, clean and cut into pieces, and blanch in water

2. Pour oil into the pan, add the drained beef brisket and fry until it changes color.

3. Turn to medium heat, add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, then pour all into the casserole

4. Add beef broth, water, dark beer, red wine, tomato sauce, sugar, thyme, bay leaves and soy sauce, stir well and bring to a boil

5. Turn to low heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring in the middle to prevent sticking

6. Dice the carrots and chop the onions. Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onions and carrots over low heat until fragrant.

7. After frying, put it into the casserole together with the diced potatoes, add black pepper and salt and continue to simmer for 30 minutes

8. Skim off the fat on the surface and sprinkle with appropriate amount of chopped parsley.

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6. Dublin Coddle with smoked sausage and risotto

      This dish, made with thinly sliced ​​bacon, pork sausage, potatoes, and onions, is a boon for calorie-lovers. Legend has it that Coddle was originally a way to use up kitchen leftovers, but now it's a common delicacy for many Dubliners, with writers like Jonathan Swift and James Joyce among its fans.

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7. Black Pudding

      Despite its name, black pudding is not a dessert. Black pudding is actually a type of blood sausage made from pig's blood, oats, and a variety of herbs. It's a nutritious and healthy dish. Recently, it's been featured in media reports as a "superfood" alongside a bowl of raspberries and fire . Black pudding is often served as part of a traditional Irish breakfast, often accompanied by sautéed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, and baked beans in tomato sauce. A cup of coffee makes for a perfect morning wake-up ritual.

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8. Potato pancakes with smoked salmon

       Salmon is primarily produced in four regions: Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the Pacific Ocean. Each region's salmon has its own unique texture and flavor. This authentic Irish dish is simple to prepare, similar to regular pancakes. Simply blend all the ingredients in a food processor, then top the pan-fried potato pancakes with smoked salmon and spread cheese on top for a delicious, long-lasting flavor. Enjoy it with afternoon tea or as a main course.

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Material:

Potatoes: 3

Smoked salmon: appropriate amount

Flour: 2 tablespoons

Sweet potato flour: 2 tablespoons

2 eggs

Pepper: appropriate amount

Salt: as needed

Mayonnaise sauce: as needed

Fish roe: appropriate amount

Scallions: appropriate amount

Garlic: 2 small cloves

Shallots: 3 small

practice:

1. Peel and dice the potatoes, clean the shallots and garlic and put them into a food processor

2. Add eggs, flour and sweet potato starch

3. Mix all the ingredients into a paste

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the potato pancakes over medium-low heat until golden brown.

5. Spread some mayonnaise sauce on the potato pancakes

6. Place smoked salmon, caviar and mayonnaise sauce on top, and finally top with green onions.

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       The origin story of Irish Coffee goes like this: During World War II, Foynes Airport near Limerick, Ireland, on the east coast of the Atlantic, became an air base for transatlantic flights. Air bases often stopped only for refueling, and weather conditions meant passengers would need to stay overnight. So, chef Joe Sheridan opened a new restaurant for these passengers. One evening, a flight diverted back to the air base. Taking pity on the delayed, cold, and tired passengers, Joe Sheridan decided to add whiskey and cream to their coffee. The result was a huge hit, and the passengers were deeply touched. Travel writer Stanton Delaplane introduced Irish coffee to the United States, and it gained widespread popularity.

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Material:

Irish whiskey

fresh cream

espresso

sugar

practice:

1. To prepare Irish coffee, you need to use a thick-walled glass. Before making it, you need to put the spoon into the cup and preheat it with boiling water. The purpose is to keep the coffee hot and fragrant for a longer time.

2. Pour a certain amount of Irish whiskey, sugar and Irish coffee and stir to fully dissolve the sugar

3. The most ingenious part: Whip the cream and use a spoon to drain it, letting the cream flow down the back of the spoon onto the coffee to create a layered mixture.

4. Sit down and drink it hot without stirring. Enjoy the cool cream and the warm Irish whiskey and coffee.

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10. Bacon Cabbage

      This is a rather bland dish and not particularly appetizing, but it is a true Irish family favorite. The recipe is simple: pick a pickled pork shoulder or back, cut it, and boil it in water. Add cabbage or parsley and serve once cooked. This is one of the Irish's favorite dishes. Although pasta is the most common dish eaten by the Irish, bacon and cabbage undoubtedly hold a special place in every Irish heart.

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      Ireland's national food is similar to that of most European countries, but it also has its own unique style, with traditional staples that have been known and loved for centuries. The earliest staples were oatmeal and dairy products. Dairy products are still popular, although their tea and stout are more popular . Fish is readily available due to its wide availability and is generally cheaper than meat. For most Irish people, "meat" usually refers to various meats, sausages, or pork products, not out of preference but for economic reasons. The traditional Irish morning is more European, with a simple fried egg with sausage, bacon, and bacon, accompanied by a cup of tea or coffee, similar to a traditional English breakfast .

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