Top o’ the morning to ye! It’s St. Patrick’s Day, that magical time of the year again where copious day-drinking and all-around shenanigans became socially acceptable under the guise of a spiritual holiday! But just how are you supposed to really engage with this holiday in the culinary department? What food and drink truly constitute authentic St. Patrick Day snacks and meals without having to fall back on the fructose-infused Lucky Charms that are front and centre of your cupboards? Here are ten things to enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day to really help you get in the holiday spirit.
What better way to start your day than lining the stomach with a heavy breakfast? A traditional Irish breakfast is a lot like a full English, featuring the classic combination of fried eggs, bacon, sausages and beans. However, to get into the St. Patrick Day spirit and connect with your long-lost Irish roots, add some Irish potato bread or some Irish griddle cakes.
Just in case it wasn’t clear, that breakfast is going to need a thick slice of Irish soda bread to go with it.
Often an addition to the breakfast, black pudding is another mainstay of Irish cuisine. I’ll be honest, any food with blood in is an absolute no-go for me but, if you’re trying to embrace your heritage, it’s another vital one to add to the list.
Recommended as a must-have if you ever visit the Emerald Isle, Irish stew is another great way to get some high-quality nutrients to make sure your night doesn’t end early from the drinking. Featuring equal parts protein and fat from the mutton and carbs from the potato, this is a meal that could keep you full for days.
Approaching the afternoon, it’s time to move onto the sweet side of things. A thick slice of this fruit cake is enough to fill the stomach of anyone. Even better when smothered over in butter.
We’re fully into the realm of the cakes now. I know it sounds weird, but green tomato cake is a delicious St. Patrick’s Day snack. Akin to carrot cake in the way the sweetness comes from the main vegetable (or, in this case, fruit) it is the colour of green tomato cake that will remind you of the beautiful Dublin countryside.
Chocolate and ale are a classic cake combination, so why not really turn this into a St. Patrick’s Day snack by adding their world famous brewski to it? Ale cake is so delicious because the beers adds an almost incomparable moistness that makes it melt in the mouth. With a thick, sticky layer of chocolate on the top too, this is a quintessential St. Patrick’s Day snack. And, whilst we’re here…
Let’s be honest, it was always going to be on this list. It’s necessary to wash down almost anything you eat on St. Patrick’s Day with a full pint of the deepest amber in the world. The glory of Guinness is that it’s really a two-in-one; it’s so thick and voluminous, it’s practically a meal in a glass.
It’s about time this list started to really degenerate. Bailey’s Irish Cream is an unspoken wonder of the alcoholic world. It’s a sweet, creamy drink that works as a perfect after-dinner treat. Unfortunately, seeing as Paddy’s Day really starts to focus on quantity rather than the quality of alcohol by the end, it becomes a necessity to focus in on…
I do not remember a single St. Patrick’s Day that did not involve the famous quadruple-shot vodka mixer. As a consequence, I also barely remember a single St. Patrick’s Day. It’s fun to eat all the yummy St. Patrick’s Day snacks but, by the time the moon is up and the club is in full swing, celebrating the patron Saint falls down on the list and getting more bang for your buck becomes a priority.
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