Whilst most people know St Patrick’s Day as a day full of celebration and drinking a lot of Guinness, it is a celebration that is over 1,500 years old. It has been celebrated since the feast of Saint Patrick on 17 March in the year 461 and who brought Christianity to Ireland. The day also celebrates Irish culture and heritage worldwide.
To celebrate St Paddy and all things Irish, I decided that I would put my palate to the test and try as many Irish dishes as I could, from making my own meals to taking a visit to an Irish pub
Chicken Fillet Roll – 7/10
Whilst it might look like a traditional sandwich, the Irish Chicken Fillet Roll has become a staple. It is essentially a baguette filled with hot crispy chicken, coleslaw, cheese, tomato and red onion. It was tasty, but nothing special and nothing that screamed out to me as an Irish staple. However, unlike many others, I’m yet to try it with a hangover so maybe I am being too harsh.
Colcannon Mash – 5/10
Whether it was my awful cooking or not, I was not a huge fan of colcannon mash. What is a mix of mashed potatoes and greens (kale in this instance), didn’t really hit the spot. Whilst it is a fun way of mixing veg into something a bit nicer, for me, it just made mash taste a bit worse in all honesty. Perhaps it needed more butter or cream, but even then, not much would’ve changed. It also didn’t help that it stunk my whole kitchen out.
Irish Breakfast – 8/10
As an Englishman, there is nothing I love more than a full English breakfast. An Irish breakfast, however, builds on the foundation of a full English breakfast which included eggs, beans, hashbrowns, tomatoes, bacon and soda bread. The Irish also added unique but tasty Irish Pork sausage and white and black pudding which you can’t see hiding under the toast. I was sceptical about the white and black pudding at first yet, I was pleasantly surprised. The black and white pudding were nicely spiced and added something different to the breakfast. Calling it a pudding might be a bit of a stretch but other than that it was a lovely meal.
Guinness – 9/10
There’s nothing better than a cold Guinness after a long day. Some say it is the Irish’s best ever invention. To best describe it, the consistency is smooth and it has a coffee like flavour to it. It is an amazing beverage and has even had me tempted to book a flight to Dublin just to try a locally brewed pint. Just don’t have get carried away as too many could have you feeling a little lethargic – not from experience of course.
Spice Bag 8/10
To end my journey through the culinary depths of Ireland, I tried the TikTok-viral spice bag. What’s lucky, is these can be bought in most Chinese takeaways despite being an Irish delicacy. Crispy chicken and chips mixed with a range of spices will always go down a treat. If you can handle the heat, most places will chuck a few chillies on there. It’s basic but it is incredibly tasty and simple, which is sometimes needed.
All photos by Archie Payne
