Food and Drinks
On the first glimpse on a menue of an average Irish restaurant people could rise an eyebrow and think, that hamburger, steaks and fish & chips are not worth a trip to Ireland and would be easy and cheap to get in a chip shop at home. But the first impression could be wrong. The Irish Cuisine is not renown for its refinement but the quality of the raw products are not destroyed by complicated cooking processes.
Did you ever want to try to taste an oyster and were thinking it is to expensive? Then maybe try it in Galway or Clare. It won't cost you more than a big burger in one of the fast food restaurants.
Other Irish specialities are fresh or smoked salmon, trout, shrimps and of course lamb, beef and pork meat. You buy your meat at the butcher shop around the corner. If you are used to pink meat in always same sized portions without fat and without any taste in sterile packages you will be surprised how tasteful and fresh Irish meat is. Other fresh products like eggs, butter, milk and vegetables are also available. Nowadays it does not need to be the "famous" cheddar, other cheese could be purchased in most supermarket as well as wholemeal bread. Many supermarkets have now instore bakerys, you can get fresh baked bread and rolls.
The Irish Cuisine does not use complicated or tricky receipes but simple and direct food. Traditional dishes like potatoes with cabbage and bacon are still associated with the Famine and because of that rarely offered.
Four meals a day is the usual: Irish breakfast between 8 and 9 am with coffee or tea, cornflakes, eggs, sausages, toast, jam and sometimes smoked herring; lunch is between 12.30 and 1.30 pm which could be only a lunch package because of the rich breakfast; High Tea between 5 and 6 pm, a small but complete meal, sometimes instead of a full meal; Dinner after 8 pm is always a warm meal with different courses.
The most wellknown Irish drink is without doubt Guinness, a black and creamy stout. If you once got used to it you will never drink something else. Guinness is served in pints like other beers, for people who are not that thursty a glass (a half pint) will do. If you will quickly realise a pint of Guinness is not always a pint of Guinness. Experts say that the brewery delivers within Ireland beer in various qualities to the pubs so that people swear that the best Guinness is served in his or her pub. If you can't get used to the taste of Guinness then try the light beers, the Lager.
If you prefer stronger drinks you need to try Irish whiskey which is served for more than 300 years. The word whiskey has its origin in Gaelic "uisce beatha" which means Water of Life. Whiskey will be served after years of maturation (minimum of seven years) in oak casks. The renown whiskey brands are Paddy, Jameson, Powers and Bushmills. The famous Irish Coffee is Irish whiskey with strong coffee, a little bit sugar and a crown of whipped cream. To warm up in the cold Winter months drink a whiskey with hot water and a slice of lemon with clove buds called Hot Whiskey.
An advice for people who like to enjoy their cup of coffee: don't expect in Ireland even in hotels or restaurants your usual brewed coffee. Some supermarkets have good coffee but to be safe take your own coffee with you. The tea is mostly from good quality and cheap.
