7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (2024)

  • Posted onMarch 14, 2018

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (1)

Saint Patrick’s Day is a cultural and religious celebration held on March 17th to celebrate the life of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. While Americans typically celebrate this day by making corned beef and cabbage and turning their beers green, neither of these things are actually something they do in Ireland!Contrary to popular belief, corned beef and cabbage is not from Ireland and the Irish would snarl at the thought of putting food dye in your beer. Instead, make one of these traditional Irish recipes and drink a pint of Guinness if that’s your thing.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (2)1. Bangers and Mash with Stout Onion Gravy
Stout and onion gravy tops this masterpiece off to give it a rich and flavorful finish that will draw you back for 2nds… and let’s be realistic, 3rds and maybe even 4ths! This sausage and mashed potato recipe is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but we find it a little hard to imagine anyone resisting the urge and only making this once a year.
Did you know: The word “bangers” originated during the First World War because there was little meat in sausages at the time, mostly just scraps and water. Because of this, they sizzled a lot when they were being fried and made little explosions or “bangs” to give it the name “bangers and mash.”

Get the recipe from Self Proclaimed Foodie.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (3)2. Irish Potato Soup
A traditional Irish Potato Soup that will warm you up on these cold March days! It’s a simple recipe that will end up being a staple in your house every winter.Did you know: Even though potatoes are synonymous with Ireland, they didn’t actually originate there. In fact – the Spanish conquistadors discovered them in the Andes Mountains and they didn’t make their way over to Europe until the 1500s.

Get the recipe from Grits and Pinecones.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (4)3. Dublin Coddle
The Dublin Coddle is a slow-cooking classic Irish dish made with potatoes, onions, rashers (bacon) and bangers (sausages) with some beer and chicken broth thrown in. To be an authentic Irish Coddle, everything would need to be boiled together, but this recipe calls for browned sausage to give it a more unique flavor profile – you can’t go wrong either way!Did you know: Originating in the 1700s, the legend is that this dish became popular because housewives were able to make it before they went to bed and let it simmer on the stove. Then, when their husbands returned home from the pub, they were able to eat a warm meal that’s been simmering on the stove for hours.

Get the recipe from Saving Room for Dessert.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (5)4. Easy Beef and Veggie Hand Pies
You can’t go wrong with crispy Pillsbury™ biscuits and a savory meat and potato filling! A real Irish hand pie would start by making the dough fresh, but let’s be real, creating the dough from scratch may be a little too ambitious for our busy lives. Pillsbury has already done this tedious work for us, so we can use their pre-made dough to simplify the meal and cut out a lot of prepping time!

Did you know: The first pies were actually called “coffins” or “coffyns” and are loosely traced back to the ancient Egyptians. The dough was originally used to preserve the filling and was too hard to eat.

Get the recipe from Pillsbury.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (6)5. Irish Beef Stew
Stew is arguably one of the best winter comfort foods that you could possibly make! This one takes it to the next level adding a hearty Guinness beer into the mix. When you’re ready to dig in, the beef will be so soft, it will fall apart and melt in your mouth! MMMHMM! Delicious!Did you know: Modern Irish stew is usually made with beef, but the early versions of it were made with Mutton (or sheep) because they were more available than beef at the time.

Get the recipe from Recipe Tin Eats.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (7)6. Guinness Braised Short Ribs
This recipe is not one that you will be able to spin up quick, but if you have the time to cook it nice and slow, you will be happy you did. These short ribs will fall right off the bone and melt in your mouth for a delicious St. Patrick’s Day meal!
Did you know: More than 13 million pints of Guinness beer are guzzled around the world on St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s cheers to that – or should we say, Sláinte!

Get the recipe from Jo Cooks.

7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (8)7. Irish Soda Bread
The original Irish soda breads only contained four ingredients – flour, baking soda, soured milk, and salt. We know this doesn’t sound very appetizing, but at the time, many families in Ireland couldn’t afford much more, so this was a staple in their diet. This recipe is an updated version of Irish soda bread and requires just 9 ingredients – and you should be relieved to know soured milk is not one of them! Don’t be fooled, this updated version of the traditional Irish soda bread is very tasty!

Did you know: Traditional Irish soda bread has a cross on the top of it. Legend has it that they did this to “let the devil out” while it baked for good luck.

Get the recipe from Cincy Shopper.
What’s your favorite meal to make for St. Patrick’s day? Let us know in the comments below!

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7 Traditional Irish Recipes and The History Behind Their Food – Five Star Home Foods Blog (2024)

FAQs

What did the Irish eat in history? ›

Dairy was an important part of the ancient Irish diet, and this is backed up by archaeological record. Dairy products were known as bánbia (white foods) and milk, butter, curds, and cheese were staples of the diet. Táth was a form of pressed curds, perhaps similar to paneer or cottage cheese.

What is Ireland's most eaten food? ›

One of the most popular and iconic Irish foods is undoubtedly the traditional Irish stew. This hearty dish typically consists of tender chunks of meat (such as lamb or beef), potatoes, onions, carrots, and sometimes other vegetables like celery or parsnips.

What are 5 common ingredients in Irish cuisine? ›

Dining at the Irish table: your guide to Irish flavours
  • Pork, beef and lamb. Pork-based products have long had a special place in the Irish diet, from the classic bacon and cabbage to the great breakfast fry. ...
  • Cheese and dairy. ...
  • Irish bread and baked treats. ...
  • Seaweed.

What are the 14 most well known Irish main dishes? ›

  • Beef and guinness pie. [Beef and guinness pie] ...
  • Shepherd's pie. Shepherd's pie. ...
  • Boxty. Boxty. ...
  • Irish stew. Irish stew. ...
  • Irish soda bread rolls. Irish soda bread rolls. ...
  • Potato and leek soup. Creamy potato and leek soup.
  • Smoked cod and cheddar pie. Smoked cod and cheddar pie.
  • Slow-cooked lamb shank pie. Slow-cooked lamb shank pie.
Mar 15, 2022

Why did the Irish eat so many potatoes? ›

Why were potatoes so important to Ireland? The potato plant was hardy, nutritious, calorie-dense, and easy to grow in Irish soil. By the time of the famine, nearly half of Ireland's population relied almost exclusively on potatoes for their diet, and the other half ate potatoes frequently.

What did Irish eat before potato? ›

Grains, either as bread or porridge, were the other mainstay of the pre-potato Irish diet, and the most common was the humble oat, usually made into oatcakes and griddled (ovens hadn't really taken off yet).

How did the Irish eat potatoes? ›

The Irish had a peculiar way of cooking potatoes 'with and without the bone or the moon' (Wilde 1854:131). This method of cooking the potato pertained to par boiling the potato leaving the core undercooked and was the preferred meal for a labourer with a day's work to do.

What is the most eaten vegetable in Ireland? ›

Carrot. After potatoes, carrots are without doubt the best-known and most popular root vegetable of all.

What is Ireland's signature dish? ›

An easy and flexible meal that's commonly considered the national dish of Ireland, says Amy Lawless, an Irish American and co-owner of The Dearborn in Chicago. Though generally made with mutton, onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes, Irish stew can also be created with beef or chicken, she explains.

What do Irish drink most? ›

Top 10 Drinks In Ireland
  1. GUINNESS. My favorite. ...
  2. BLACK 'N BLACK. Guinness with a shot of blackcurrant, it's usually for people who want to try Guinness but don't like the porter bite. ...
  3. IRISH CIDER. ...
  4. FAT FROG. ...
  5. WHISKEY AND CRANBERRY. ...
  6. POITIN OR CRAYTHUR. ...
  7. BAILEY'S. ...
  8. BABY GUINNESS.

What do Irish eat for breakfast? ›

Full Irish Breakfast

There's typically eggs, sausage, hash browns, beans, and roasted tomatoes. You may also find slices of Irish soda bread.

What is Ireland's national animal? ›

Ireland's national animal is the Irish hare or mountain hare. The hare is not found anywhere else in the world. They are thought to have been in Ireland for millions of years and are found in fossils from the late Pleistocene.

What are 5 interesting facts about Ireland? ›

Fun facts about Ireland
  • Irelands nickname is the Emerald Isle.
  • There are around 30,000 castles in Ireland.
  • Irelands' Wild Atlantic Way is the longest coastal driving route in the world.
  • One of the oldest lighthouses in the world is located in Wexford.
  • Halloween originated in Ireland.
  • The shamrock is not the national symbol.
Sep 1, 2022

What is a well known Irish dish? ›

Shepherd's Pie: Shepherd's Pie is a hearty and comforting dish made with ground or minced meat (traditionally lamb in Ireland), mixed with vegetables such as peas, carrots, and onions. It's topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden.

What is a typical Irish dinner time? ›

Usually around 6 to 6. 30 pm when most of the family return from work. In Ireland, dinner is usually referred to as having your tea, unless it's Sunday when dinner is served at lunchtime, around 1.30 to 2 pm depending on mass times.

What is a typical Irish breakfast? ›

All full Irish breakfasts include some or all of the following: Bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and perhaps some cooked leftover potatoes made into a hash or a bubble and squeak. There will also be toast, butter, marmalade, and lots of tea to drink.

Is Shepherd's Pie Irish or English? ›

Many people believe that the peasant housewives invented the pie as an easy way to repackage leftovers from their Sunday roast. The Shepherd Pie is thought to originate from Ireland and the northern parts of England.

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