Happy St. Patrick’s Day! If you celebrate or if you don’t, today is still an awesome day to try something new, and to keep in spirit, here are 5 Irish foods you must try- many of which are super easy to make. So put on some green, get together with your friends and try some of these brilliant foods!
Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie is the most traditionally Irish dish I can think of, and I personally love it. It consists of minced beef or lamb with vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes and baked in the oven until golden brown. So comforting and simple, a definite crowd pleaser.
Colcannon
Colcannon
I only just recently found out about colcannon, but now I’m not sure how I’ve lived all my life not knowing about this. Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made with potatoes and cabbage (sometimes adapted to kale- every recipe is slightly different). It’s basically a comforting potato dish that’s perfect for the cold weather, and you can add your own twists and get really creative with it.
Scones
How can one forget scones, a favorite teatime treat? In Ireland, they’re usually eaten with butter, jam and cream, and can either be made with raising or without- whatever your preference is. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make! If you make your own scones from scratch, you can definitely reward yourself with an extra one (or five, I won’t judge).
Soda Bread
Irish Soda Bread is so good, and a perfect way to impress your friends, because how many people can say they’ve made their own bread? Because soda bread doesn’t contain yeast, it’s super easy and fast to make, and will last you for days. You can also add in your own ingredients such as cheese and bacon, or sweeter ingredients like cranberries.
Beef and Guinness Stew
Stews are so good because they’re cooked over a long period of time so the flavor can really develop- and this particular one is even better because it uses Guinness- an Irish stout. This recipe from Donal Skehan is easy to follow and yields great results- and it’s perfect for St. Patrick’s Day.
There you have it, 5 Irish foods you must try. Have a great St. Patrick’s day, and happy eating!