Ireland: A Country With Great Milk
Although Ireland is not exactly recognised for their food, it has been interesting to see what people eat here. Irish people really love their dairy and beef, so unfortunately, as a vegetarian, I haven’t gotten to try much traditionally Irish food. Of course potato dishes are big here and so fish and chips are pretty big here. Another popular dish here is coddle, which consists of potatoes and is made as a way to use leftovers, which helps to show that here food isn’t necessarily a huge priority and it is more made for practicality versus taste.
People tend to eat lunch out at restaurants with their coworkers. It’s really nice because during lunch time the local park is always full because people are eating with their friends and enjoying their lunch break. People really value their time with their family so I’d say they primarily eat at home. It’s been interesting to see how many restaurants close around 7/8 which is quite earlier than in the U.S.
The culture is similar to America in the sense that people typically eat three meals a day. One difference that I have noticed is that people are generally more relaxed when they eat. They really take the time to enjoy their meals and especially their lunch break, which is an hour long. People here also take breaks for tea and coffee. Additionally, I find that food is celebrated here in the sense that it brings people together rather than for its culinary value.
Although I haven’t gotten to try too much traditional Irish food because of the meat, in my opinion the milk here tastes amazing, which I believe can be attributed to the fact that the cows here are fed grass.
Hey Tara! This is a super interesting post because of your take on your food experience as a vegetarian. Since dinner is eaten so early, are all meals throughout the day normally pushed earlier? It’s also amazing to hear that the cows are grass fed and therefore results in some killer milk, I wish we had that in the US.
Hi Tara! It’s surprising that people in Ireland will hang out to the park during the lunch break, because people in Hong Kong look so busy at every moment. The only one thing I feel bad is the restaurants will close at 7/8 pm, which is the time I often go out for dinner with my friends. Anyway, hope you can enjoy the food there!
Hey Tara, thank you for sharing something that I never knew before. I am mostly familiar with other Asian cultures, so any European culture is very new to me. As I expected though, it is very different from what I am experiencing here in Hong Kong. I am wondering if there is any particular snacks or desserts people enjoy there. Also do pubs or bars close early as other restaurants?
From what I understand, Ireland can rely pretty heavily on meat for its traditional dishes, so I understand why the food experience as a vegetarian may be frustrating. I’ve noticed in Australia as well, most places tend to close much earlier than in the United States. While the food may not be the best, the fact that it brings people together definitely shows that its a bit important to the culture. Enjoy what you can!