An island nation on the western fringe of Europe, Ireland is a very rainy country. Because of this, the landscape is lush and green, contributing to a wealth of natural ingredients to be used while cooking.

The potato is a staple of the Irish diet. The Irish consume more potatoes per capita than any other country in Europe or the United States—roughly 300 pounds per person per year. That’s a lot of potatoes.

Some simple Irish dishes made with potatoes include:

• Champ: mashed potatoes with chopped green onions
• Colcannon: mashed potatoes and vegetables such as cabbage and kale
• Boxty: grated potatoes mixed with flour, baking soda, and milk, then shaped into pancakes and pan-fried
• Haggerty: crisp cakes of onions and potatoes
• Dublin Coddle: a casserole of bacon, sausage, onions, and potatoes

In addition to potatoes, Irish cooking puts a heavy emphasis on the use of root vegetables such as carrots, onions, and turnips. Other vegetables commonly associated with Irish meals include cabbage and kale. Mushrooms are grown in nearly every Irish county, especially Cavan, Donegal, Kildare, Mayo, Monghan, Roscommon, and Wexford.

Irish farmhouse cheeses, extremely popular locally and finding a growing popularity abroad, vary in flavor depending on the grass and wild herbs the herd grazes on in different areas of the country. These cheeses are produced using only the milk of the farmer’s own herd.

Varieties include:

• Ardrahan (Dunhallow, Southern Ireland)
• Cashel Blue (Beechmount Farm, County Tipperary)
• Coolea (Willems family, County Cork)
• Cahill Marbled Cheddar (Cahill’s Farm, County Limerick)
• Gubbeen (Gubbeen Farm, Schull, West Cork)
• Carrigaline (The O’Farrell’s, County Cork)
• Boilie (Ryefield Farm, Lough Ramour)

Can't make it to the Emerald Isle anytime soon? Get into the spirit with these delicious traditional Irish dishes. Please have Adult Supervision while making these recipes, and Enjoy!!

• Corned Beef with Cabbage
• Irish Stew

Try these World of Flavor Word Searches:

• Ireland (Elementary Grades K-2)
• Ireland (High School)