Updated
2025-03-16T12:38:01Z
- Ireland is known for its hearty cuisine, such as stews and potato pancakes.
- Colcannon, for example, is a twist on traditional mashed potatoes that's made with butter and cream.
- Irish soda bread is one food you can find in the United States around St Patrick's Day.
Some traditional Irish foods, such as hearty stews and comforting potato dishes, are less likely to be found stateside.
Ahead of St. Patrick's Day, Business Insider looked at recipes from across the Emerald Isle to find the most unusual yet tasty dishes you need to try at least once in your lifetime.
Many of these filling dishes won't break the bank, either — some recipes use up leftovers, while others rely on low-cost, bulk ingredients such as potatoes and cabbage.
Here are 13 mouthwatering Irish recipes that Americans are missing out on.
Dublin coddle is a warm stew made up of leftovers that makes for a perfect comfort dish.
Dublin coddle is a traditional Irish stew that derives its name from the "coddling," or simmering, of ingredients in a pot for hours during its preparation. This dish normally comprises leftovers such as sausage, bacon, potatoes, and onions.
Irish soda bread is a staple in Irish homes, especially around St. Patrick's Day.
Despite what its name implies, Irish soda bread actually has the consistency of a scone or a biscuit. This is, at least in part, because Irish soda bread is leavened using baking soda rather than traditional yeast.
The bread was an easy and affordable staple for people living in poverty-stricken Ireland during the mid-19th century, The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread reported.
But the Daily Journal of Kankakee, Illinois, reported that Native Americans were actually responsible for the recipe, ultimately inspiring Irish immigrants who took it back to Ireland.
While traditional recipes use flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk, other varieties incorporate honey, sugar, fruit, seeds, or even Guinness.
Barmbrack is an Irish fruitcake typically served with afternoon tea.
Barmbrack, or brack for short, is an Irish dessert bread. Filled with raisins and spices and then soaked in tea and whiskey, this delicious treat is a staple for Halloween, the Irish Times reported.
Following tradition, the Irish fill their barmbrack with coins and other trinkets. Whatever you end up biting into — be it a coin, ring, pea, rag, or stick — is said to show what your year will bring.
Boxty is an Irish take on potato pancakes.
Boxty is often eaten as part of a traditional Irish breakfast. The starchy pancake is made with finely grated raw potatoes and fried.
Colcannon is a twist on traditional mashed potatoes that's made with butter and cream, as well as kale, cabbage, or scallions.
Most colcannon recipes recommend making a well in the center of the mashed potatoes and filling the indent with butter before you serve the dish.
Champ is another Irish variation on classic mashed potatoes.
While colcannon is made with kale, cabbage, or scallions, champ recipes just call for the addition of scallions.
Like colcannon, champ is also typically served with a generous helping of butter in the middle of the dish.
Boiled bacon and cabbage is the traditional Irish dish that corned beef and cabbage is based on.
Thick cuts of salted pork are boiled alongside heaps of cabbage to produce this delicious Irish meal.
This dish is such a classic, in fact, that Irish Americans have turned it into their own St. Patrick's Day staple of corned beef and cabbage.
Irish cuisine typically includes two types of sausage: white and black pudding.
Typically made with pig's blood, pork fat, and cereal, black pudding is a popular meat item in many parts of Europe.
White pudding is made with almost everything black pudding is, except the blood.
Many pubs and restaurants serve carvery dinners.
Many eateries across Ireland and Northern Ireland are famous for their carvery dinners, where diners can get roasted meat to order. The meal also typically includes mashed or roasted potatoes, vegetables, and gravy.
Since Ireland and Northern Ireland are surrounded by water, there's an abundance of fresh shellfish and seafood.
Oysters, prawns, scallops, and lobsters are just some of the shellfish varieties you can find.
Traditional Irish stew is a staple you'll find everywhere on the Emerald Isle.
Traditionally made with mutton, this signature Irish dish is now commonly made with lamb.
Irish stew is a fairly standard comfort meal, complete with meat, potatoes, onions, and carrots. But some chefs have been known to add Guinness to mix things up.
Shepherd’s pie has made its way stateside, but the hearty meal is a classic across the pond.
This filling but delectable meal features mashed potatoes layered on top of ground meat.
The meal originates from Ireland and has been prepared since the late 1700s, when rural women would create it to repurpose leftovers from Sunday's roast dinner, Britannica reported.
Traditional Irish recipes include ground lamb as the base, but Americans often use ground beef or turkey as a substitute.
Bangers and mash is a quintessentially British dish, but it's also popular in Ireland.
Bangers and mash might be more closely associated with British culture, but the Irish also love this traditional pub food. Consisting of sausages and mashed potatoes, or even colcannon, you're likely to find this dish in pubs across the country.
