The number one spot goes to bread and toast as being the premier breakfast meal for the Irish nation. This category spans all types of bread and toasts popular in Ireland ranging from your classic sliced pan and brown bread to bagels and pastries.
An English breakfast, although very similar to the Irish one, might include fried potatoes, as mentioned above. The other key difference is its lack of two key components: sliced black pudding and/or white pudding. These pork products, original to County Cork, have become a requisite part of any Irish fry up.
Beans are an important part of a full English or Irish breakfast, or you can serve them on toast for lunch. Peas, beans, and pulses are not only tasty, but they are good for you too.
Colcannon and champ
Potatoes are still a staple at most mealtimes, with traditional dishes remaining popular. Colcannon is a classic, comforting mash of potatoes, cabbage (or kale) and butter (or cream), flavoured with spring onions.
Tea and sandwiches are served during the wake visitation hours, and it's not uncommon for whiskey to be poured into the evening. Sharing meals and drinks is a way to celebrate the life of the departed. It also brings some relief to those mourning.
Irish breakfast: More robust than English breakfast. Generally has a strong Assam component, giving it a malty flavor. Scottish breakfast: Typically the strongest of the three. May include teas from China, Assam, Ceylon, Africa, and/or Indonesia.
Shepherd's Pie
Perhaps one of the most well known Irish dishes, Shepherd's Pie is typically made with a layer of ground beef or lamb with vegetables and topped with creamy whipped mashed potatoes, then baked and browned to perfection.
Lunch often consists of a bowl of hot soup alongside freshly baked soda bread, but a heartier lunch menu can be found at the local pubs, where typical Irish plates are served around the clock.
Ingredients vary from place to place, but the basic ingredients to a traditional breakfast include square lorne sausage, link sausages, fried egg, streaky bacon, baked beans, black pudding and/or haggis, tattie scones, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, and toast. And, don't forget a cup of Scottish tea to wash it all down.
On the whole, Ireland is more of a nation of tea-drinkers than coffee. In fact, to be served anything other than instant coffee (widely available at hotels and restaurants upon request) travelers will have to seek it out.
For those of you in the audience who aren't familiar, an Irish Breakfast includes fried eggs, bacon (much like Canadian bacon, and less like American bacon), sausage, pudding (black and red), and a fried tomato, with fruit, cheese, yogurt, and bread on the side.
Irish Breakfast
Usually, people will eat breakfast in Ireland between 6am and 8am. In most restaurants that are open during these hours, they will have specific breakfast menus.
Full Irish Breakfast
There's typically eggs, sausage, hash browns, beans, and roasted tomatoes. You may also find slices of Irish soda bread. No matter what's served, you know it's going to be hearty!
There are almost as many different opinions on the Irish breakfast as there are Irish people, but most can agree on the basics – sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans, black pudding and white pudding. The latter – along with the occasional potatoes – distinguishes the Irish breakfast from its British counterpart.
Irish Stew
An easy and flexible meal that's commonly considered the national dish of Ireland, says Amy Lawless, an Irish American and co-owner of The Dearborn in Chicago. Though generally made with mutton, onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes, Irish stew can also be created with beef or chicken, she explains.
Guinness cake – one of the best best Irish desserts
Well, we couldn't have a dessert list without our beloved Guinness cake, which we all love.
Traditional Irish dishes are all about comfort and filling your belly. Traditional foods range from Guinness brown bread to Irish stew, scones and soda bread and pretty much anything with a potato in it. Food made in Ireland has come a long way in the past 10-15 years.
The term “black Irish” refers to persons of Irish descent who are supposed to be descendants of the Spanish Armada, which sailed around the middle of the 15th century, and had dark hair and or eyes. The term is used among people of Irish descent and sometimes confuses people since it doesn't refer to dark skin color.
A traditional Ulster Fry always has back bacon, black pudding, sausages, fried soda bread and potato farls along with fried eggs on the plate. Optional extras are tomatoes and mushrooms.
An Ulster fry typically refers to a traditional Irish breakfast, but one particularly associated with Northern Ireland.
Irish wakes are a celebration of life - one last party to honor the deceased. The name “wake” originated because unknown diseases had plagued the countryside causing some to appear dead. As the family began to mourn, they would awaken. For this reason, the body is waked in the deceased's home for at least one night.
The Irish wake is a well-known funeral tradition where the family of the deceased covers all mirrors in the home. To hide the physical body from the soul, the family turns mirrors to face the wall. Some Irish superstitions say that if you look in a mirror long enough, you'll see a devil looking over your shoulder.
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”