The first things that pop up in my mind when I hear St. Patrick’s Day are the infamous Irish flag, the color green, parades, and beer. However, this holiday is not just an excuse to drink too much, but also eat too much!
1. Corned Beef
This item may look really weird to you, but it is AMAZING. It is a salt-cured beef, which means it was treated with large-grained salt or “corns” of salt. It is normally served with cabbage. This meal is a part of Traditional Irish cuisine.
2. Shepherd’s Pie
This meal comes from Ireland. Probably all of you have seen Shepherd’s Pie on a menu at a restaurant, but what actually is it? It is a meat pie with a crust or topping of mashed potatoes. However, there are variations to this item. It is called Shepherd’s Pie when it is filled with lamb but is a Cottage Pie when it has a beef filling.
3. Irish Soda Bread
This bread got its name because it is made out of baking soda instead of yeast. There are many variations for this recipe, however often people add raisins and nuts. Irish Soda Bread is more dense bread with a slightly sour taste and a hard crust.
4. Serpent Cake
This is a common thing I find in my grocery store back home in St. Louis, MO. It is bread that is dyed green and shaped like a snake. They even put cherries in for his eyes. The history behind it is that is was baked in remembrance of the time St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.
5. McDonald’s Shamrock Shake
This may not be a traditional St. Patrick’s Day food item, however, it is one of my favorite. McDonald’s only sells the shake seasonally during March to celebrate this holiday. So, buy one ASAP!! It is a green mint flavored shake that is made out of vanilla soft-serve ice cream.