A guide to traditional Irish food

Ireland may not be renowned for its haute cuisine but there are a few classic dishes that everyone simply must try before closing the book on Irish Food! Irish Food has a tendency toward simplicity and generally uses basic ingredients to create warm and hearty dishes. This tradition no doubt reflects the country's less than affluent history and focuses more on keeping the body full and happy as opposed to titillating the taste-buds with adventurous mixes! Here are a few traditional classics to keep in mind when looking for typical Irish food:

Savoury Dishes to Warm the Cockles!

Bacon and Cabbage
Commonly mixed up with Corned Beef and Cabbage which is not a traditional Irish dish, Bacon is probably the most commonly used meat in Irish cooking and goes superbly with steamed or boiled cabbage. Don't knock it till you've tried it!

Irish Stew
Definitely the better known of traditional Irish meals, Irish Stew is simple and hearty and perfect on a cold day. Irish Stew typically consists of mutton, potatoes, vegetables and stock. It is cooked slowly and for hours until the meat is tender.

Dublin Coddle
Dublin Coddle is a very old Dublin dish and used to be cooked traditionally for funerals as it could be kept for long periods of time. Neighbours would come into the deceased's home to offer their condolences at a traditional wake while eating from a large pot of Coddle. Coddle generally consists of boiled sausages, onion and potatoes.

Seafood
There are few places in the world with a better reputation for premium quality seafood and in addition to Oysters and Dublin Bay Prawns(which are widely known as the best prawns in the world), Smoked Salmon is also typical of Irish food.

Boxty
"Boxty on the griddle,
Boxty in the pan,
If you can't make boxty,
You'll never get a man."
Boxty is nearly always a favourite with visitors as it is essentially a kind of potato cake. Hailing originally from the north midlands of the country, Boxty is made using finely grated, raw potato, mashed potato with flour, baking soda, buttermilk and sometimes egg. It is then fried on both sides on a griddle.

Colcannon
Made from mashed potato, kale (or cabbage), salt, pepper and butter, Colcannon is so good that it even has a song named after it. It was traditionally eaten when the cabbage came into season in the Autumn and had some interesting traditions associated with it, especially at Halloween. Colcannon was generally served with small coins concealed in the potato at Halloween as it was believed to bring good luck to whoever found it.

Irish food may not blow the roof off your mouth like an Indian curry but there are some dishes that require a slightly more adventurous palette and are not for the delicate of disposition.

Clonakilty Black and White Pudding
Irish food may not blow the roof off your mouth like an Indian curry but there are some dishes that require a slightly more adventurous palette and are not for the delicate of disposition: An Irish Fry, for example, is never complete without black and white pudding. Black pudding is not, however, for the faint hearted as it is made with clotted pig's blood.

Cruibins
More widely known as pig's trotters, Cruibins are considered as something of a delicacy in Ireland and are well worth trying. Cruibins are best cooked by grilling.

Breads and Cakes

Porter Cake
There are, of course, many delicacies in Ireland that rely stereotypically upon alcohol to help a recipe along and Porter Cake is one of them. It is, as the name suggests made with Porter, a dark, malted beer. The porter makes the bread moist, rich and dark. The old myth that the Irish put whiskey into everything is just that incidentally - a myth - as they would not waste good whiskey in food and would much rather drink it directly!

Irish Soda Bread
There are few things more pleasant than eating a slice of soda bread that has just emerged from the oven. There are, of course, variants of the recipe using Guinness which lends a darker character to the bread similar to porter cake.

Barmbrack
Barmbrack is a type of bready cake made with raisins and sultanas and is traditionally made for Halloween. A proper Irish Barmbrack should have a golden ring in its centre and whoever manages to bite on it (it must be accidental to work!) will be the next in their household to marry.