Traditional Meals - article by Reports and Reviews

Traditional St. Patrick's Day Foods

Traditional Irish meals are served on St. Patrick's Day as a tribute to the Irish culture. Here are some traditional Irish foods that you can make to help

Irish Soda Bread
Irish soda bread is traditional bread that has been made in Ireland for centuries. The recipe uses baking soda rather than yeast because baking soda worked better with the type of flour that was available in rural Ireland. The recipe combines baking soda with buttermilk since the baking soda needs an acid based liquid to work. The common recipes today still use buttermilk. The resulting Irish soda bread is moist, rather sweet bread. Raisins or currants can be added to the dough before baking for a variation.

Irish Lamb Stew
Irish stew was traditionally made with mutton or lamb, with lamb being the most common recipe. Irish stew is a thick stew, which is made using potatoes, onions, carrots and any other root vegetables that are on hand, along with meat. The stew is cooked slowly, over low heat, for hours, creating a thick, tasty mix of vegetables and meat with a thick broth or gravy. There are many variations on the traditional Irish stew. Often Guinness, the Irish ale, is added as a cooking liquid and for flavor. Today, Irish stew can be made substituting beef for lamb.

Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned beef and cabbage is probably the most well-known traditional Irish recipe that has been handed down through the years. Corned beef and cabbage was a staple of most Irish homes in the past several centuries. Corned beef is a salted, pickled beef that is slow-cooked along with cabbage. Most truly Irish people prefer bacon and cabbage, a more delectable treat. Today, many restaurants around the world offer corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day.

Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is now a common beverage served all over the world. It originated in Shannon, Ireland in the 1940s, an invention created by Joseph Sheridan at the Foynes hotel. It was brought to the United States in the 1950's and it's popularity has spread throughout the world ever since. The Irish coffee is a variation of the hot toddy. It adds Irish whiskey and cream to hot coffee to produce a tasty, warm, alcoholic beverage. It is commonly served on St. Patrick's Day.

When the Irish people began immigrating to the United States and other countries, they brought their traditional recipes with them. These recipes were adapted and evolved using the foods that were available in their new locales. The recipes were brought to many countries and have come to be known as traditional Irish food. These, the most common of the Irish foods, are readily available on St. Patrick's Day in many countries throughout the world.

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