Meat & Poultry
Irish beef is world-famous for its superb quality. Both baby and yearling lambs are produced and most chickens and turkeys are free-range. Pork features less in Irish cooking, except in the form of bacon and gammon.
Fish & Seafood
Ireland is well-known for its excellent salmon. Other popular fish include plaice, cod and brill. Smoked fish is a specialty of some coastal areas, especially in County Cork. The choice of seafood is extensive fresh mussels. Clams, lobster, crab and prawns, including Dublin Bay prawns, are widely available. Oysters feature in the traditional Guinness & oyster Pie, but this is no longer the inexpensive meal it once was.
Vegetables & Fruit
Potatoes are paramount, and floury varieties are the most popular. Waxy varieties are called "soapy" by the Irish. Cabbage probably ranks second in importance, closely followed by root vegetables, such as carrots, turnips and Swedes. Other widely grown vegetables include onions, leeks, peas and beans. Seasonal fruits are popular as summer desserts and include gooseberries, strawberries, blackberries, plums and raspberries. Apples and pears are also cultivated.
Dairy Products
Irish butter and cream have a well deserved reputation and, even in these days of cholesterol awareness and low fat cooking, are often included in a wide variety of dishes. Irish cheeses include Cashel Blue from Tipperary. Million from County Cork and St Killian from County Wexford.
Herbs & flavor
In many parts of Ireland, herbs, including garlic, grow wild. Parsley chives, thyme and mint are the most popular flavor. Carragheen moss is a reddish purple seaweed harvested on the west coast of Ireland. It is rich in a natural gelling agent and minerals. It can be eaten as a vegetable like spinach, but is also available dried to a yellowish pink color and used as a thickening agent. It is available from health food shops. Young wild nettles are also harvested, especially in the spring. Only the tender young tips are used as the lower leaves and stems are too tough. If picking wild nettles, wear protective gloves and choose plants well away from traffic pollution. Sorrel is another wild herb which is used in Irish cooking. It has a refreshing lemony flavor and can be type of sauce, salad and soup.
Drinks
Ireland has a venerable history of brewing and stout, accounts for about half of all the beer sold in the country. Besides enjoying a convivial pint or two in the pub, the Irish also cooks with it, classically combining it with beef and with oysters. The Guinness Brewery in Dublin is now world famous. Another popular Irish stouts are produced by Beamish and Crawford and by Murphy's, both in Cork.
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