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Best Irish Food – 38 Best Irish Dishes And Traditional Food In Ireland To Try

Last updated on May 1st, 2024 at 04:46 am

Best Irish Food – 38 Best Irish Dishes And Traditional Food In Ireland To Try

Irish cuisine is recognized for being rich, tasty, and flavorful. From the vibrant capital of Dublin to the western part of County Clare to the top of Northern Ireland. Check here to visit Guinness Storehouse and to visit Cliffs of Moher.

Most traditional Irish cuisines are built on three items such as meat, vegetables, and potatoes because what was cooked had to supply the greatest calories for a hard day’s labor. Traditional Irish cuisine are all about bringing you a warm feeling and satisfying your stomach. Read here best restaurants in Dublin

You’re in for a treat if you’re wondering what to eat in Ireland. We have compiled a list of the best 38 Irish dish to try! Read here Irish Breakfast Drink

Read here Things to know before visiting Ireland, best Ireland sim card for tourist, most instagrammable places in Dublin and how to get from Dublin airport to city center

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BEST IRISH FOOD: 38 BEST IRISH DISHES AND TRADITIONAL FOOD IN IRELAND TO TRY

IRISH DISHES: TRADITIONAL FOOD IN IRELAND

1. IRISH BREAKFAST

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish Breakfast
Irish Dishes – Image from Wikimedia

Irish breakfast is Ireland’s usual prepared meal, as well as being one of those phrases that can state various meanings depending on where you live. Irish breakfast is traditional, and it’s also famous at some other times of the day, and it’s used to replace lunch.

Irish breakfast rarely provided every day too, preferring to be reserve for weekends, when enjoyed on a quiet Saturday or Sunday, or on vacation in resorts and hotels where no stay is complete without one.

Irish breakfasts include products such as sausages, bacons, cooked beans, eggs, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and some extra boiled potatoes.

2. BANGERS AND MASH

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Bangers and Mash

Bangers and mash are a staple of traditional Irish cuisine! It is a delectable combination of juicy sausage, sautéed onion, and a tantalizing Guinness beer brown gravy. Bangers and mash could be made up of a variety of flavored beef, pork, or lamb sausages.

Bangers is perfectly served with creamy buttery mashed potatoes. Irish sausages are referred to as bangers, and mashed potatoes are referred to as mash. This festive meal is perfect for any occasion. This is also a fantastic way to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day!

3. BOXTY

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Boxty
Irish Food – Image from Christina’s Cucina

Boxty is an Irish potato pancake that has been passed down through the generations. The food is most closely connected with the counties of Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Fermanagh, Longford, and Cavan in the north midlands, north Connacht, and southern Ulster.

The potatoes are grated finely and mixed with buttermilk, flour, and eggs before being fried like a standard pancake.

Boxty used to be eaten on its own, but nowadays it’s eaten like a tortilla, stuffed with meat and veggies. For a complete St. Patrick’s Day supper, pair with Irish Bangers and Sauté Swiss Chard.

4. COLCANNON

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Colcannon
Irish Cuisine – Image from Wikimedia

Colcannon, a well-known Irish favorite meal, varies by location, otherwise you may encounter across variants with onions, chives, or various sorts of cabbage. Colcannon is usually eaten with ham, bacon, or corned beef, despite its versatility. The meal is commonly served at Halloween and is utilized in a variety of Irish fortune-telling rituals.

The term cál ceannann is derived from the Gaelic word cál ceannann, which means white-headed cabbage. Colcannon is usually served as a solo meal or as a side dish to meat, with a lump of butter in the center.

5. CHAMP

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Champ
Irish Food – Image from Wikimedia

Champ is a traditional Irish comfort food made of mashed potatoes, spring onions, and lots of butter and milk. The food comes from the Ulster region, where it has been once cooked using stinging nettle instead of onions, although this is no longer the case.

Champ was usually served on Halloween, just like colcannon. According to The Complete Irish Pub Cookbook, you were expected to leave a bowl for the fairies under a shrub.

6. IRISH POTATO SOUP

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Potato soup

Irish potato soup is made using basic ingredients that were once common in rural Irish kitchens! Potato, stock, cream, butter, onion, and salt and pepper to taste are used to make Irish potato soup. It’s usually served with Irish Soda Bread for a tasty and filling meal!

7. IRISH STEW

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Image from Wikimedia

Irish Stew was introduced as early as 1800. Mutton, onions, potatoes, and occasionally barley were used to make the stew at first, with lamb meat as well as other veggies such as carrots, turnips, and parsnips added afterward.

Goat meat was allegedly utilized in the past, but beef, in addition described mutton and lamb, is a prominent ingredient in today’s dishes.

Irish Stew was originally a common food for ordinary and poor people in Ireland because it was made with inexpensive ingredients and fed in large quantities. Lamb, or mutton, as well as potatoes, onions, and parsley, are all inexpensive components. 

8. SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Seafood Chowder
Image from Wikimedia

Seafood Chowder is a savory dish made with seafood including salmon, shrimp, white fish, and haddock and veggies including onions, potatoes, carrots, and garlic, as well as milk and cream.

The Seafood chowder is appreciated as a cooling summer dish as well as a hearty winter dish. Fresh, finely chopped parsley is suggested as a topping for the chowder bowl to make it perfect! This dish is definitely tasty, simple to prepare, and ideal for lunch!

9. BARMBRACK

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Barmbrack is commonly recognized as Barm Brack, is named báirn breac in Gaelic, which means speckled loaf. This bread is a yeast-based sweet bread that has dried fruit and speckled on it.

Barmbrack is a popular Halloween treat in Ireland, despite its simplicity. Usually, this is offered to family and friends. It is a delicious afternoon snack that is often offered in flattened rounds and served with a cup of tea.

10. SODA BREAD

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Soda bread

Soda bread is made with only some ingredients such as salt, flour, baking soda, and buttermilk, athough some recipes may additionally contain some olive oil and eggs. The dough is designed whether as a round cake or flattened and sliced into four pieces, known as farls, and takes almost minimal kneading.

Soda bread is classed as brown or white depending on the type of flour used, and is frequently served as a side dish to a major meal. The slices are usually smeared over butter or honey, or sprinkled with cheese and cold cuts if eaten for breakfast.

11. IRISH CROISSANT

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish Croissant

Irish Croissants are flaky crescent-shaped breads made from pure butter and a slightly sweet yeast dough. When removed from the middle, the yellow-white interior should be slightly elastic, ready to be topped with a pad of butter or some fresh jam if made properly. For St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish Croissant is a delightful snack!

12. POTATO BREAD FARL

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Potato bread farl

Potato bread farl or fadge is a delectable Irish mash baked with mashed potatoes, butter, flour, and salt that looks like a little potato pancake. The dough of the potato bread farl is normally rolled out and slice thinly or rounds, then fried till golden brown on a griddle or frying pan.

13. COTTAGE PIE

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Cottage pie
Image from Wikimedia

Cottage pie is a warm and delicious casserole-like meal made with minced lamb as well as mutton meat, onions, carrots, Worcestershire sauce, creamy gravy, and herbs including marjoram, parsley, and black pepper. Cottage pie is a terrific way to utilize leftover cooked meat, but for a better flavor and texture, fresh meat is often advised.

14. BLACK AND WHITE PUDDING

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Black and White Pudding
Image from Wikimedia

The sausages black and white pudding originated from the United Kingdom. Black pudding is a sausage cooked with blood, pork, fat, oats, and bread or potato fillings, whereas white pudding is similar to black pudding but without the blood, and Irish bacon is an essential part of each Irish breakfast.

15. CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Corned beef and cabbage
Image from Iena Abraham

Corned beef and cabbage is really not truly the national dish of Ireland. Corned beef and cabbage is made using brisket and seasonings cooked on the pan in a dutch oven with broth, red potatoes, and carrots, and cabbage. The soft beef is then served with veggies and potatoes, cut against the grain.

16. SHELLFISH

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Shellfish

Summer is when Ireland’s tastiest and freshest crustaceans are available. Shellfish exist in Irish cuisine, through Connemara clams to Molly Malone’s cockles and mussels, as well as Dublin Bay prawns, which have their very own festival in Howth every year in May.

17. CURED SALMON

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Cured salmon

Salmon that has been cured is a must-try! Skinless salmon, lime juice, coriander seeds, sugar, salt, fresh dill, and 1 bottle of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout are used to make cured salmon.

18. CODDLE

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Coddle
Image from Wikimedia

Coddle is an Irish delicious dish out of layers of sausages, bacon, potatoes, and onions that have been cooked to perfection in broth. Use high-quality pork sausages and bacon to produce a superior coddle, and eat it with pieces of soda bread to soak up the juices.

19. RED ROASTED POTATOES

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Red roasted potatoes
Image from wikimedia

The addition of aromatic rosemary, either fresh or dried, to red roasted potatoes gives them a distinct but delicate flavor. The red roasted potatoes are easy to make but look and taste elegant.

20. BOILED BACON AND CABBAGE

Boiled bacon and cabbage wiki
Image from Wikimedia

Although boiled bacon and cabbage may not sound particularly tasty, it is a definite family favorite. Salted pork from the shoulder or back of the pig was usually steeped overnight, depending on how much desalting was required, before being cooked, with the cabbage added in the last minutes and the usual companion is a smooth parsley sauce.

21. IRISH HAM

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish ham

Irish ham usually refers to ham made in Belfast or Limerick. It’s usually a portion or all of a hog leg that’s been deboned. Irish ham is brined or pickled before being smoked over peat or juniper, giving it a peppery, evergreen flavor that many people enjoy.

BEST IRISH FOOD: IRISH CUISINE DESSERTS TO TRY

22. TRIFLE

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish dessert, Trifle

Trifle is a dessert formed by placing sponge cake, fruit jams or purée, and egg custard on top of each other. Normally, the sponge is soaked into sweet wine or brandy, and the entire dessert is served with whipped cream.

Trifle is commonly served in glass bowls with different flavors and toppings such as cocoa, jam, nuts, and cherries, as well as fruit juice or soft drinks in a non-alcoholic variant.

23. IRISH APPLE CAKE

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In Ireland, Irish Apple Cake is a favorite dessert! The Irish Apple Cake is mildly flavored, with a thinly sliced tart apple interior core and a flaky oat streusel topping. It’s customary to serve it with a dollop of heavy cream or a rich custard sauce.

24. FRUIT SCONES

Irish Food, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, food in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish dessert, Fruit scones

Fruit scone is basically a scone with juicy golden raisins and currants placed on top. Although these are the usual toppings for a fruit scone, these sweet treats can be created with any dried fruit. It’s best to serve them split open, with fruit jam or cream smeared on top.

25. FLAPJACK

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Flapjack is a baked dessert made with porridge oats, golden syrup, sugar, and melted butter that is often sliced into squares or rectangles. In Ireland, a flapjack is a handcrafted oatmeal bar that bears little resemblance to a pancake.

IRISH DRINKS: WHAT DRINKS IN IRELAND TO TRY

26. GREEN BEER

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Green beer

Green Beer is a beer that really has finished its main fermentation but has not yet been conditioned until being packaged. Many people enjoy the tasty green beer during St. Patrick’s Day.

27. IRISH FLAG BEER

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish Flag Beer
Image from The Spruce Eats

Irish flag beer basically represents Ireland’s flag which has a tricolor, and these colors are green, white, and orange. This Irish flag beer is a must-try!

28. REDBREAST

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Redbreast
Image from Wikimedia

Irish Distillers’ Redbreast is a variety of single-pot still Irish Whiskey. Redbreast was created by Gilbey’s, a Dublin spirits retailer, using distillate from Jameson’s Bow Street Distillery. Redbreast is the world’s best-selling single-pot still Irish whiskey!

29. IRISH COFFEE

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish Coffee

Irish coffee is indeed a drink made of cup of coffee, whiskey, and sugar, mixed together and served with whipped cream on top. The modest quantity of alcohol in Irish coffee won’t get you buzzed, but it will lift your spirits.

Irish coffee is typically ordered at restaurants in the daytime as a caffeinated grab or as a sweet after-dinner treat!

30. GUINNESS

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Guinness

Guinness, without a doubt, is a very well-known Irish beverage on the market at the moment. Since 1759, it has been brewed in St. James’s Gate in Dublin.

Guinness is one of those drinks that you eat with your eyes first, kind of like Irish coffee. If you go to a nice pub, you’ll enjoy a great creamy foam, without bitterness, and tastes of coffee.

31. TULLAMORE DEW

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Tullamore dew

Tullamore DEW became the world’s second-best-selling Irish whiskey product in 2015, with sales of more than 950,000 cases. It was created in a historic distillery in Tullamore, Offaly, that’s been established in 1829.

Its name, tullamore DEW is derived from Daniel E. Williams’ initials. Williams was the initial distillery’s general manager and then proprietor.

32. MURPHY’S IRISH STOUT

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Murphy's Irish Stout

Murphy’s Irish stout is founded and dispersed by the Dutch brewer Heineken International. Murphy’s Irish stout is outshined by Guinness, so many people never get a chance to try it. It’s silky incredibly smooth with toffee and coffee tones, very little bitterness, and a flavorful finish that’s irresistible.

33. JAMESON WHISKEY

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Jameson Whiskey

Jameson whiskey was among the most widely recognized Irish alcoholic beverages. It’s readily accessible in over 130 countries and it has already been distributed worldwide since the 19th century.

Jameson Whiskey is appreciated for its pears, hops, green apple, and vanilla taste, which are all expertly produced at Jameson.

34. BAILEYS IRISH CREAM

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Baileys Irish Cream

Baileys Irish Cream is a creamy liquor made in Ireland. Even though it has the appearance of chocolate, which is an alcoholic beverage made with milk, chocolate, and a splash of Irish whiskey.

Try Baileys if you’re seeking Irish liquor that’s not too strong in flavor and can be savored gently. Baileys Irish Cream is creamy and decadent, and it’s ideal for sipping after meals or by the fire!

35. IRISH CIDER

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Irish Cider
Image from Wikimedia

Irish Cider is an alcoholic beverage produced from apples, is commonly accessible in pubs, off-licenses, and groceries throughout Ireland. It’s been created for thousands of years in various parts of the island. Irish Cider has a semi-sweet, creamy flavor.

36. JAMAICAN IRISH MOSS

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Jamaican Irish Moss
Image from Wikimedia

A mixture of non-dairy milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla is used to make the Jamaican Irish Moss Drink, often known as a love potion. It is indeed delicious, vegan, and gluten-free.

Jamaican Irish Moss Drink has amino acids, antioxidants, vitamin C, and natural antibacterial and antiviral agents all aid to prevent infections.

37. DINGLE GIN

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Dingle Gin

Dingle Gin is indeed a diverse gin, it is flavorful for a cool gin and tonic with a subtle mint tint or even a complicated but approachable martini. The Dingle Gin is flavorful, with a typical angelica and juniper scent, and a taste that veers in both classic and current directions.

38. KILKENNY

Irish Drink, Irish cuisine, Traditional Irish Food, drinks in Ireland, Irish dishes, Kilkenny
Image from Wikimedia

Kilkenny is indeed an Irish creamy beer which is now made by the same company that makes Guinness. It was first produced in Kilkenny’s St. Francis Abbey Brewery, and it is now produced in Dublin’s St. James’s Gate.

Kilkenny features a nitrogenated cream head, commonly found on a pint of Guinness which helps make it pleasing to the eye and also more pleasing to the taste.

Hope you liked our best Irish food blog post. Which one of the Irish dishes is your favorite in Irish cuisine? Are we missing any traditional food in Ireland to try? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy Travels!

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Jason

Saturday 26th of August 2023

Colcannon also uses potatoes that’s the article doesn’t mention. Green beer is an American invention for selling beer. Good luck finding this in Ireland. No such thing as Irish flag beer. Even the photo is of a shot. Jamaican Irish Moss is a Jamaican during not Irish.

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