The Irish and the Potato
Irish Toast
May you have no frost on your Spuds,
No worms on your cabbage.
May your goat give plenty of milk.
Traditional Irish food has always used the simplest of ingredients. These may not always make the “richest” of foods but Irish food is often hearty, tasty and homey.
In 800 A.D. the Irish people already had a “lubgort” -- a garden, in every home. These were commonly kept on the side of hills. At the time, cainenn, immus, foltchep, crem and meacan were considered typical garden foods. Today, these vegetables are what we call onions, celery, leek, garlic and carrots. Other favourites through the ages included tangy dandelion leaves, savoury cabbages, sweet peas, beefy mushrooms and spicy kale. Add a variety of sweet and tart, fruit and berries; throw in meats, fowl (chicken, if you want), or game; and the Irish have eaten well.
Perhaps, so well, that ancient Brehon Law bars Irish men from becoming fat or having a “pot belly”. And this was all before the Irish Potato.
The potato only became a part of the Irish staple diet about three hundred years ago. It is actually an American crop and is behind rice, wheat, and corn. Ireland was the first country in Europe to consider the potato as a staple in the 1600s. By the 1700s the potato bore the name, the Irish Potato, (sometimes referred to as white potatoes). And they were associated with poor agricultural communities. The Irish upper classes, on the other hand, started to have more variety in their diet, and so, did not count on the potato too much.
 Yet, through many trials and tribulations, the good old Irish Potato was always there.
You see, the humble potato contains protein, carbohydrates and calcium. As a crop, it was relatively cheap. But it’s mainly because it is easy to grow; and easy to store. It became a reliable source of food for Irish farmers and was commonly eaten with dried herring – That was back in the seventeenth century. Farmers, who needed hearty filling meals, on the other hand, created what we call traditional Irish cuisine.
Boxty, champ, soda bread, Irish Stew, potatoes and bacon, and the Dublin Coddle were very much from a time when the potato was featured in a wholesome meal. You could Google any of these and find a great recipe for them. They are all tasty and easy to cook.
In the meantime, if someone asks you to have some “blaa” and have a “coddle”.. Just try the sausage roll and, taste a bit of the coddle.
Potato Note:
Praties and Dip: Boil potatoes. Take them off the heat, dip in milk and salt. Eat. From: thedailyspud.com
Reference articles
http://www.ravensgard.org/prdunham/irishfood.html
http://www.dochara.com/the-irish/food-recipes/traditional-foods-of-ireland/
http://www.netplaces.com/irish-history/family-and-food/irish-food-potatoes-beef-and-potatoes.html
http://www.thedailyspud.com/2009/03/29/spud-sunday-praties-and-dip/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato#Ireland
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