Kerry Pippins are small to medium-sized apples that are a bit flattened at the bottom. The orangey-yellow skin has a dull red blush on it, as well as some white dots and some russeting. The pale to golden yellow flesh is crisp and crunchy, firm and very fragrant. The taste is somewhat spicy. The tree…
Irish Food
Kill Apple
Kill Apples are medium-sized apples that try to be round, but are often uneven, having 5 ribs. The dull, pale-yellow skin is waxy, with a flush of light red and a bit of russetting. The white flesh is firm and crisp. The flavour is very good and full, with just a slight amount of tartness….
Killeen Farmhouse Cheese
Killeen Cheese is an Irish farmhouse cheese in the style of Gouda. Inside, it is firm, and cream-coloured with small holes. Versions are made with both raw and pasteurized milk.
Kimberley Biscuits
A Kimberley Biscuit is a biscuit (cookie, to North Americans) made by the Jacobs company and sold primarily in Ireland. A Kimberley consists of two small, brown round biscuits that are mildly-ginger flavoured and quite soft, with a soft marshmallow filling in between them. There is a crust of sugar granules on the edge of…
Lammas
Lammas is an Irish holiday that follows the day after Lughnasadh. While Lughnasadh was a day of merry-making, on Lammas thanks would be given for the coming grain harvest by prayers and offerings of bread.
Laver
Laver is seaweed. It’s called Laver in Wales, and “Sloke” in Ireland. The brown seaweed harvested off Wales is a slightly different species of seaweed than that cultivated in Japan for nori. In Wales, most seaweed is still harvested from the “wild”, though some cultivation is now starting. The harvested seaweed is usually washed and…
Limerick Ham
Limerick Ham is a cured leg of pork. It can be cured in a variety of ways: salting, brine immersion or even smothering in honey. It is then smoked over a fire of juniper branches with berries on them. Limerick Ham is also often used to denote pieces of brined ham — such as a…
Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh marks the start of autumn in the Celtic calendar, and the start of the harvest for grain. It’s an ancient Celtic celebration that was held in Ireland and other Celtic countries.
Marrow
Marrow are very large members of the summer squash family. They are often served stuffed and baked, or peeled, seeded and cooked in a sauce. Some wags describe their culinary interest as otherwise “elusive.”
Mulligan Stew
Mulligan Stew is made out of anything and everything — whatever you have on hand. That notwithstanding, some dauntless cookbook writers will still offer you recipes for Mulligan Stew. It’s not certain where the name came from. General theory has it originating in America, in the hobo and tramp camps that started in the early…
Red Lemonade
Red Lemonade is a red-coloured lemonade-flavoured fizzy soft drink sold in Ireland It is made by companies such as Taylor Keith (TK), Country Spring, Finches and Nash’s, etc. Some brands may be sweeter than others. It is used as a drink mixer, particularly with whiskey. A “Jemmy” is a Jamieson mixed with Red Lemonade. Some…
Rolled Bacon
Rolled Bacon is a generic term for bacon that has been rolled up into a roll. The meat will of course be boneless, which enables it to be rolled. In Ireland and Scotland, it is rolled so that a slice from it will have both streaky and back meat. In Scotland, it is called Ayrshire…
Ross Nonpareil Apples
Ross Nonpareil are small to medium-sized, conical-shaped apples. They have yellowish-green skin with deep orange flushes and streaks of dark red. Inside, they have soft off-white flesh with green tints. The flesh is aromatic and has a sweet, sharp flavour with a hint of anise, but is somewhat dry. The fruit ripens late September. Cooking…
Sam Young Apples
Sam Young are small-sized apples with bright yellow skin and occasional orange flushes, covered with grey russeting. Inside, they have firm, tender, juicy, greenish flesh with a sweet, sharp, rich flavour. The fruit ripens late November / December in England, and has its best flavour when harvested as late as possible. The apples may crack…
Soda Bread
Just before you bake a loaf of Irish Soda Bread, you are supposed to cut a cross in the top of it to let the fairies out. This also, coincidentally, has the side benefit of preventing the bread loaf from splitting as it bakes.
St Patrick’s Day
St Patrick’s Day is a day to celebrate all things Irish. It is a major food and drink day.
Sunday Roast
Sunday Roast — Chicken © Leclaire & Schenk Sunday Roast is traditional in the UK and in Ireland. It is always served in the early afternoon. Many North Americans make the mistake of thinking they will hit a pub and get a roast dinner at 5 or 6 in the afternoon, which is when North…
Ulster Roll
Ulster Roll is bacon made in a slab with the rind on. It is dry-cured in salt. It is often served with cabbage and root vegetables to give interest to the dishes. Cooking Tips It is quite salty, so taste a dish with Ulster Roll in it before adding further salt.
Whiskey
Whiskey © Denzil Green Whiskey is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Grains used can include barley, rye, wheat, and corn. It is distilled, then aged (usually) in wooden casks. There are entire compendiums, schools and guilds dedicated to each of the varieties of whiskey. If you don’t have whiskey in the house…