Live In Ireland

The food is another reason to love Ireland, though maybe not as obvious. Ireland isn’t renowned for haute cuisine, but it’s got its own homey charm. And they happen to excel here in all the dishes I particularly enjoy—creamy soups, beef and lamb stews, stuffing, shepherd’s pies, sausages, roasts, and, of course, potatoes.

Gravy is a mainstay and comes on everything… and it’s oh so good…

One unique aspect of Irish gastronomy is the carvery. I had never heard of this before we moved here, and I’ve seen it rarely since moving away. If you’ve spent time in the U.K., you might have come across it.

Essentially a buffet, it begins with a giant roast meat or two—usually roast beef and ham.

You’re served by the carver, who carves off a slice of whatever you want (hence the carvery), and you proceed down the line to fill your plate with potatoes (usually at least three ways), stuffing, veg, Yorkshire pudding, and top it off with abundant gravy.

Sometimes there are some other mains offered, a chicken breast, a slice of local hake or salmon, a curry, etc. Plus a soup, and the obligatory soda bread.

You usually fill your plate with as much as you want for a flat fee.

It’s magnificent.

When my mother was pregnant with my brother here, she ate nothing but mashed potatoes and gravy—she’d send us out for a plate of just that. By the time he was born, they knew us well.

I misspoke when I said Irish food isn’t internationally known, as, of course, Irish beef and dairy is exported all over the world.

The milk, cream, butter, cheese and ice cream is second-to-none (I miss sharp Irish cheddar so much I had to bring a couple bricks of it back with me), and the beef is famously some of the best in the world, thanks to all that rain—the grass is so plentiful it’s a year-round feast for the cattle.