Art Minor in Ireland: Got Potatoes?

You can’t travel without enjoying a bit of a different culture’s food, right? Well, I’m glad to report that the food that I’ve had in Ireland so far has been absolutely delicious.

First off, let me just say that Irish food, at its core, isn’t totally different from food in the US. They still have burgers, steak, sandwiches, etc., but in my opinion, the food is better quality here. Everything is grown locally, and they don’t use as many chemicals or preservatives in their food as we do. As a result, the food tastes better and you feel a bit more sure of what you’re eating. I’ve found that a lot of people here, especially tourists from the US, give up being vegetarian during their stay in Ireland because, here, farm animals are treated better than in the US, so there’s less guilt in eating meat.

On top of the food being fresher and healthier, meals are better in Ireland because their portions are generally larger! Whenever we go into town for a meal, a large, delicious dinner that I can barely finish usually costs me less than 15 euros. The most delicious meal I’ve had here so far I got right in town for 13 euros at this place called Logues Lodge. It was a “slow cooked shank of lamb”. The meat was so rich and tender. I mean, I’ve had lamb in the US before, but nothing quite as tasty or filling as this dish.

There was also this one time in Galway (a city that’s about an hour away from Ballyvaughan by bus or car) when a few of us went to an Asian restaurant. The food was fantastic, and the portions were pretty generous there, too, but the most interesting part of the meal was the fact that there were potatoes served on the side of the dish. We were all so confused; the menu didn’t mention that the dish came with two small potato patties, and it’s not like Asian dishes in the US often come with fried potatoes. But this is Ireland; it seems like, no matter where you go in this country, they will always serve you potatoes on the side, whether you want them or not. However, around here, people generally do enjoy their potatoes.

For the most part, we like to stay in and cook dinner to keep ourselves from spending money and having to make that long, strenuous 5 minute walk into town (to be fair, some days consist of hours of hiking, so the walk into town actually does feel a bit longer). In my house, we try to do group meals and take individual turns cooking for everyone. Using my housemates as my personal guinea pigs has been a great way for me to learn how to cook this summer. Turns out, I can make some pretty great chicken!