The Irish family has traditionally gathered around the table, sharing the food it had in rich times and in poor. For the most part, it has been pretty decent fare. Ireland's thriving agricultural industry provides high-quality meat, dairy products, and vegetables that go directly to local markets. The fresh and nutritious ingredients have allowed the Irish population to stay remarkably healthy, even in times of relative poverty.

Irish Specialties

Irish food has never been known for its diversity. The traditional diet, consisting of meat, vegetables, and lots and lots of potatoes, has long been considered one of the blandest in Europe. What it lacks in flair, though, it makes up in heartiness. Some of Ireland's hearty national and regional dishes include the following:

• Blaa (“blah”) — sausage rolls, from Waterford

• Coddle — boiled sausages and bacon with potatoes, from Dublin

• Colcannon — a casserole of potatoes, onions, and cabbage

• Crubeen — pig's feet, from Cork

• Guinness stew — a stew made with mutton, potatoes, carrots, and Guinness beer

• Soda bread — a thick brown bread, tasty when fried

The Irish Breakfast

The Irish tend to eat light lunches, so they take breakfast seriously. Visitors to Ireland are frequently amazed by the robust Irish breakfast. This is no dainty continental breakfast of a croissant and jam, but an extravaganza of meat and eggs that will keep you full all day. There is variation from place to place, but the Irish breakfast generally includes the following:

• Eggs (usually fried)

• Sausages

• Bacon (sliced thick)

• Ham

• Black pudding (a blood sausage)

• White pudding (a lighter sausage)

• Fried tomatoes

• Toast and jam

• Tea

This combination is served in pubs and bed-and-breakfasts across the country. A similar variant, called an “Ulster Fry,” is served in the North. Observant visitors will notice that the Irish don't actually eat like this every day; a bowl of cereal or some toast and tea are more common ways to start the day.