HISTORY & TRAVEL
A Very Brief Irish Food History:
Ireland has a long history of occupation dating back 8000 plus years. Naturally, their food supplies and culinary methods changed and evolved through time. Also a variety of diet developed based on regional location in Ireland. Wild game and fowl, for example would have been a stable diet for occupants of what is now the Ulster region while fish, shellfish, and seaweed diets would have been found more along the coastal regions with fish the main diet particularly in the northwest of the island. Historically speaking there were 12 provinces whereas today there are only 4. Previous to the introduction of the potato, meat, milk products such as cheese and buttermilk, cereals and vegetables would have been mainstream Irish diet. Of course with fish, mussels, eels, seaweed, and other water products depending on the location would have been common.
Agricultural development seems to have been hit and miss prior to 500 to 600 BC. Going back even further would have probably consisted of hunting fowl and game, gathering, and fishing. Food quality and rations would have been based on political status post 600BC. Whereas pork was considered the cheapest meat, poorer slave class people would have been fed on pork parts, while nobles would have feasted on game and meat. Blood was collected from live animals and mixed with various oats and seasonings to create various puddings which provided protein. Oats and Barleys were used to make a variety of breads, however breads were not common-place until much later in Irish history. With the development of agriculture food sources became more stable allowing for a greater population growth. Corn was also introduced into Ireland and was used to make various alcoholic drink.
Later there were various dairy products such as butter & cheese. Eggs, fish, porridge, and vegetables that worked their way into the Irish normal diet.
With the introduction of the potato came the destruction of mass forests and the full scale development of agriculture was established. Foraging and hunting declined and the reliance on cheap potatoes in the Irish diet increased. As cereal prices increased post
Napoleonic War era, there was a decrease in oats as a staple part of Ireland’ s rural population’ s diet and an increased reliance on potatoes and cabbage and sometimes salted fish. With most of the country depending on a single crop for survival, the stage was set for disaster when a series of crop failures began to effect Ireland’ s potato industry. A series of small famines and 2 larger ones took its toll on the Irish population as a whole in 1739 and 1845-46, where the death toll rose over 1.2 million and emigration hit an all-time high estimated to be 2 to 3 million. In the aftermath, a mix of historical culinary foods, English influenced foods, trade development, industrial revolution, and newer more modern delights seems to have all meshed together to form the Irish delicacies we enjoy today.
Sample of Traditional Irish Foods by Meal Type:
BREAKFAST FOODS:
Full Fry – Varies slightly from region to region in content but basically has Sausage, Pudding, Rashers, Potato Items( of some type) and beans with small variations by region – it’ s definitely a hardy meal of fair portions wherever you experience it
• Breakfast Roll – Breakfast items wrapped in a bread layer
• Porridge( Oatmeal) – prepared in a variety of ways
• Black Pudding – varies by region
• White Pudding – varies by region
• Sausage – Flavors vary by region
• Bacon – Rashers / streaky bacon
• Potato Cakes or Potato Bread
• Soda Breads – varies by region( White Soda Bread, Brown Soda Bread, Filled Sodas such as Soda Farl, Buttermilk Soda Bread, Etc.
• Pancakes- of various types
• Scones- of various types
• Fruits – a more modern Irish breakfast edition
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Fall 2016 1961 Magazine