Irish cuisine

The Irish cooking is traditionally simple and hearty within the meaning of home cooking. Important products of the country are lamb and beef, poultry, eggs, butter and other dairy products, trout and salmon, as well as crabs and clams. Cereal production is due to the moisture to a smaller extent possible, however, to planting vegetables (especially potatoes and cabbage) is of great importance.

History

Irish cuisine was since the beginning of colonization primarily focused on, to feed the inhabitants sufficient. The food supply was not very rich. In the history of Ireland there came several times to great famine, and the supply of the population with the basic necessities was not always guaranteed. During the Great Famine in Ireland 1846-1851, which was caused by potato crop failure, more than one million people died, according to estimates. The inhabitants of the country declined for this reason up to 25 %. More than 1.5 million people emigrated and tried their luck in Canada, Australia, the U.S. and the industrial centers of England.

Basics of Irish cuisine

The most important grain has long been oats, which was used for baking bread and as a basis of porridge. Wheat was also grown, however, was reserved for the upper classes. Light bread was a privilege of the wealthy. A prominent role has always been played also dairy products. Fresh milk was considered a tasty and nutritious and has served guests as refreshment. In addition, butter, curd and cheese were important staple food. Diluted with water, whey was consumed mainly in the monasteries.

Flesh stood up into the 20th century the majority of the population rarely available and had the status of a luxury food. Since the colonization of Ireland beef and lamb meat were eaten, and later included as well as eggs pork and poultry. On the coast naturally also played an important role in fish, especially haddock. Traditionally included here also edible algae to foods. The most familiar type Palmaria palmata is ( dulse ), which is eaten raw as a salad or cooked as a side dish with potatoes or bread. Porphyra ( sloke ) is eaten boiled and flavored with butter and spices with potatoes as a vegetable.

The potato was introduced in the late 16th century in Ireland and was eaten by all classes. With the onset of 1600 strong population growth, the diet depended heavily on grain products. Rising grain prices meant that the poorer classes increasingly lived on potatoes. The poor harvests from 1845 to 1848 led to a great famine with many casualties. The Irish everyday fare is still mainly of potatoes, vegetables, meat, milk, bread and butter.

Meals

A traditional Irish breakfast consists of Rashers (bacon ) and Black & White Tard (one slice fried blood sausage and liver sausage ) and Irish pork sausages. These eggs than scrambled or fried eggs, fried potatoes or soda farls ( potato pancakes ), fungi such as mushrooms, baked beans and fried tomatoes served. Toast, Wheaten or Farmhouse Soda Bread ( a dark, unfermented soda bread ), butter and assorted jams round out the breakfast. Very popular are also scones, it is eaten with butter, jam, honey or maple syrup.

Drunk is the breakfast of Irish black tea ( Irish Breakfast ), a malty, Assam -based blended tea, and orange juice. Just as in the UK, the tea is generally drunk with milk in Ireland.

The "traditional" advertised as a meal, however, was mostly eaten only by the higher English society, as the Irish people often could not afford meat. Even today, breakfast is rather consumed only by tourists, hardly of Irish.

Main meal

Although the waters of Ireland are rich in fish, compared to other coastal states relatively little fish is eaten. Only with increasing prosperity were the rather expensive fish and other seafood regular components of the Irish food slip. Nutritional foundation was and is the potato. Also be found in small shops up to ten different varieties. In addition, beef is considered valuable meal. It is used as steak ( sirloin, striploin, fillet ), Roasts ( stews and roasts ) and Stewing Beef (goulash ) offered. For foreigners to get used to that in Ireland even cheaper cuts of meat, which actually are not suitable due to a higher Bindegewebsanteils for quick roasting, sliced ​​as " steaks " (round steak ) are offered. These are often mechanically processed to make them more tender ( tenderised ). Pork is offered ungepökelt mainly as pork fillet ( pork steak ) and loin ( pork loin ). All other parts of the pig are cured and as bacon ( bacon ) and ham ( ham ) offered, with the bacon ( fatter ) abdominal parts and ham are the ( magerern ) leg parts. About 20% of fish consumed in Ireland meat is lamb, with lamb innards (liver and kidney ) are gladly processed. Poultry (chicken and turkey ) also when meet a large proportion of the Irish diet, with turkey on whole roasted (roast Turkey) is traditionally prepared on hard times, the family and relatives to the common feast.

For Stew ( stew), steak or roast potatoes are served in general ( in the form of fried potatoes, baked potatoes, french fries or mashed potatoes ). There are vegetables peas, carrots, leeks, parsnips, turnips and cabbage, and bread and butter. At Christmas, Brussels sprouts is served as a vegetable side dish traditionally. Header and other leaf salads are dressed normally only with vinegar and oil. To a salad plate and coleslaw (to be canned with mayonnaise coleslaw ), potato salad ( with spring onions, vinegar and mayonnaise is maches, cold breakfast served mashed potatoes ) and include raw and pickled vegetables (especially beetroot ).

Irish Soups are characterized by a thick, almost paste-like consistency and are always mashed. Classic soups are vegetable soups, chicken soup and beef soup, with clear soups are quite unknown in Ireland.

Drinks

During the Middle Ages milk and whey were the most important daily drinks while beer was a festive drink. However, the highest prestige had mead made ​​from fermented honey water.

Guinness is drunk in the evening in the pub and not with meals. For dining there is mineral water or lager.

In the evening they drink the Guinness already mentioned, but also Smithwicks (not to be confused with the better known on the continent Kilkenny), a malty tasting ale, or cider.

The Irish whiskey has a long tradition at least as as the even more famous Scotch. In Ireland, single malts are fired. Proved is the whiskey - making since the 13th century.

In Ireland also poteen ( Irish: Poitín ) is drunk, this is moonshine whiskey ( rarely also potato spirit, similar to vodka), which has depending on its origin either good quality or is only partially fit for human consumption.

In the 19th century tea has become the most important everyday drink of the Irish, as well as in England.

Specialties

Irish stew, traditional, spiced with cumin stew with potatoes, carrots, onions and mutton or beef is not eaten in Ireland today so often.

The fine cuisine of the restaurants is now heavily influenced by other cuisines, including French and Italian. The used in haute cuisine lamb and beef comes from free-range.

The Irish fine cuisine is now famous for their seafood: oysters, clams, scallops, lobster, crab and numerous freshwater and saltwater fish. Especially the Irish salmon is popular. Salmon is grilled or poached, and both smoked.