3 Irish dishes that aren’t popular in Ireland at all
Have you ever been to Ireland? I have, on a solo cycling holiday that I sometimes look back on with a strange sense of wonder – was that really me? What was I thinking? I ate well there, I do remember that, and it really is true that Guinness is drunk there as if it were water. And did you know that certain dishes which are assumed outside Ireland to be typically Irish actually can’t be found there?
It’s a bit like some dishes we in the Netherlands consider ‘Chinese’, but which you won’t readily find in China. This can be explained by the fact that the Chinese community that has lived in the Netherlands for generations didn’t have access to ingredients from their homeland in the Netherlands in the past, and therefore created adapted versions of dishes from ‘home’. And these creations that have been given the label ‘Irish’ outside Ireland are probably more popular outside Ireland than in Ireland itself.
Irish Coffee
Who doesn’t know it? When I worked in hospitality in the 1990s, these units were in constant demand: that typical stemmed glass mug, a measure of Jameson, brown sugar, hot coffee, stir, a dollop of whipped cream, and then hoping you could get it to the table without spilling. And that dollop of whipped cream was really a key element. But here’s the thing: in Ireland, they don’t put such a tall dollop of sweet whipped cream in or on this drink.
An authentic Irish coffee is made with sugar, strong coffee, unsweetened cream that has been whipped only slightly, and whiskey, according to food platform The Spruce Eats. You also don’t stir the cream into the coffee; you’re supposed to drink the coffee through the cream. And what definitely doesn’t belong in it? Additions such as milk, Bailey’s, Kahlua or Tia Maria.
Irish Chili
If you search online for Irish Chili, you’ll get a whole string of recipes as results and can certainly have fun behind the stove for a while. But does that mean you’re cooking Irish food? Um, no. And of course, don’t let that stop you! But it will never be a traditional Irish chili, because according to food platform Yummly, it doesn’t exist.
Irish Car Bomb
As unbelievable as it may sound, this is genuinely the name of a cocktail that is reasonably well known in America, for example. It consists of a shot glass of Bailey’s and Irish whiskey dropped into a glass of Guinness, which then starts bubbling quite vigorously, meaning you have to drink it quickly.
However, make sure you never order this in Ireland under that name, because it would be highly inappropriate. The name refers to the period known as ‘The Troubles’, during which many lives were claimed by car bombs during the struggle for Northern Ireland’s independence. How could you order it instead? As an Irish Slammer.
Read also:
- 7 Mexican dishes they don’t eat in Mexico at all
- Top tip: this holiday home in England comes with beer taps included
- Court rules: Glen is Scottish, and you should leave it alone
