Happy St. Patrick's Day, Irish or Not!

Whether you are walking in a parade, drinking a Guinness, or just wearing a touch of green today, it's a perfect day to celebrate the traditions of Ireland, that spunky country from which so many Americans emigrated. They brought us their work ethic, their wonderful sense of humor and love of language, and, of course, recipes for delicious food. No, not corned beef and cabbage; that is decidedly NOT authentic Irish cuisine, just an American adaptation. But yummy stews, chowders, and breads top the list of foods you can easily cook at home to celebrate Irish heritage. (For a more complete discussion of what is truly Irish, see the blog we posted in March 2023. You can read it here.)

Ready to dig in to creating some delicious Irish treats? You can start with Irish soda bread, traditionally served at most meals in Ireland along with creamy, fresh butter. Sometimes, it includes raisins or golden raisins, called sultanas, and sometimes currants, but more often just whole grain wheat flour, baking soda, a bit of salt, and buttermilk.

Want to get your day off to a good start? Think about an Ulster fry, a traditional dish in the north of the country. Because so many northern Irish came from England, the Ulster fry resembles a filling breakfast you are likely to find anywhere in the U.K. Of course, there's a fried egg or two, sautéed tomatoes, mushrooms, Irish bacon (more like our Canadian bacon), sausages, canned baked beans, and perhaps black pudding and soda bread. Although you are likely to find tea served with breakfast, coffee is now almost universally accepted as appropriate for breakfast and lunch as well.

Corned beef and cabbage is found nowhere in Ireland except, perhaps, at restaurants catering to American tourists. What is easy to find, however, is bacon and cabbage, often served with champ. Bacon, again, is what we would call Canadian bacon, and in this dish, salted pork shoulder would do as a perfect substitute. It's boiled with onions, carrots, and spices and served with cabbage, slivered, simmered or sautéed until soft, and topped with butter or white sauce with parsley. Champ is mashed potatoes with bits of chives and/or scallions or spring onions. Maybe you'd prefer sausages and colcannon? Take your mashed potatoes and add cooked cabbage or kale, butter, and milk and serve as an Irish variation of the British "bangers and mash."

Irish stew is a warm, comforting meal, almost always made with lamb or mutton and a pot full of root vegetables: potatoes, rutabaga (called "swedes"), turnips (called "neeps,") carrots, and sometimes onions, or whatever other veggies are on hand. Today's cooks often use Guinness or other strong beers as all or part of the liquid in which the stew spends a few hours simmering.

Not a big meat eater? Ireland is an island, and no matter where you go, you will find delicious, fresh seafood. Because it's often rainy and cool, there is nothing more comforting than a big bowl of seafood chowder, filled with a variety of shellfish and local salmon or other soft fish, potatoes, and a creamy fish-based broth. Don't confuse chowder with soup. The Irish are very particular about the difference. Chowders are always thickened with flour and cream and often feature chunky ingredients rather than small, smooth bits.

A yummy treat that is not widely known in the U.S. but can be found throughout Ireland are potato farls. This soft, doughy bread is a mixture of mashed potatoes, flour, butter, and salt, cooked in the round and cut into quadrants. In the north, you might find it served lightly fried in butter for breakfast, and in the south as part of a lunch or dinner. Also based on the ubiquitous potato is boxty, a simple potato pancake with the texture of hash browns, it's a staple in the northwest of the island and often found for breakfast.

Finish your day with a bitter-sweet Irish coffee. Combine hot, strong coffee, an ounce or two of Irish whiskey, a bit of sugar, and then a dollop of freshly whipped sweet cream. Sip slowly, and think about all the lovely Irish foods you can try, even when it's not St. Patrick's Day, or you are not Irish!

Ready to Cook?

"20 Traditional Irish Foods to Enjoy on St. Patrick's Day," by Kara Zauberman, 29 January 2025, The Pioneer Woman, https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/meals-menus/g35325053/traditional-irish-food-dishes/

"24 Traditional Irish Foods You Haven't Heard Of (and Some You Have)," by Kim Bussing and Rosemary Siefert, Taste of Home, 7 October 2024,  https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/traditional-irish-food/?srsltid=AfmBOope13MCUFJhgNufMOnFiZCNty-54H_kcUibsS3Tr4La60lsz6t7

"Irish Recipes for St. Patrick's Day and Beyond," The View from Great Island, 2025, https://theviewfromgreatisland.com/category/irish/