The Irish often used the good land to grow things like wheat and corn that they would sell to pay their rent. This left the farmers with a small piece of land to grow their own food. Potatoes took up very little space and were very nutritious. One acre of potatoes could feed a family of four for a year.
Irish people love to eat potatoes. In fact, the spud originally came to Ireland from the Americas. Perhaps the Irish brought their love of potatoes back to America as they emigrated there over the centuries.
The potato marks Irish history like a big branding iron because, in one sense, it both made and unmade the people of the island. It was the potato, along with our dairy industry, that led to a spike in the population in the 18th and 19th century. Many millions depended on the potato – for breakfast, dinner and tea.
Since Ireland has an ideal environment for potato growth, taters became a staple crop for the Irish in the 1700s, per World Potato Congress. These tubers were so reliable and abundant, they came to be seen as a social safety net for hunger. Ireland's booming population depended on them.
As was shown in the previous section, the potato gained importance as a crop in Ireland in the period running up to the famine. However, the potato was not a native of Ireland. It had been found by Spanish conquistadors in south America in the 1500s was shipped to Europe, and reached Ireland around 1590.
Potatoes first came to Ireland at the end of the 16th century and quickly became a staple. Irish potatoes are served in many forms including bread, a savory pancake, and mashed with either scallions or cabbage. The skin is left on the potato while it cooks according to traditional Irish recipes.
In 1840, potato plants were massively struck by potato-blight in Ireland and this caused a dramatic food shortage and famine. At the same time an outbreak of typhus occurred and therefore the Irish famine is also known as the Irish famine fever. During the 18th century' potatoes became the bread for the poor people.
Potatoes are known colloquially in Ireland as 'spuds'. Apparently, this word is derived from the word spade, which would be used to dig up the spuds.
We can't talk about Irish slang without mentioning potatoes! “Spuds” is another word for potatoes. Speaking of spuds, “Grá” means “love” in the Irish language. A lot of Irish people still use this word even when speaking in English.
Based on a comparison of 165 countries in 2020, China ranked the highest in potato consumption with 69,312 kt followed by India and USA.
Colcannon. The traditional Irish food pairs creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage. It can also feature greens like kale, scallions and leeks (its verdant color makes it a St. Patrick's Day classic) and is often served with boiled ham.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, "crisps" are potato chips which are eaten at room temperature, whilst "chips" are similar to french fries (as in "fish and chips") and are served hot.
Diaper is what they use in North America, and Nappy is the word used in the UK & Ireland, Australia, NZ and many other Commonwealth countries.
póg f (genitive singular póige, nominative plural póga) kiss.
It is considered polite to finish all the food on your plate.
Gargle is a slang term for beer or alcohol. You can "have a gargle" if you're having a drink or be "on the gargle" if you're drinking.
Poke: (Ice-cream, usually a soft serve from an ice cream van.
Until the arrival of the potato in the 16th century, grains such as oats, wheat and barley, cooked either as porridge or bread, formed the staple of the Irish diet. The most common form of bread consisted of flatbread made from ground oats.
The humble potato was domesticated in the South American Andes some 8,000 years ago and was only brought to Europe in the mid-1500s, from where it spread west and northwards, back to the Americas, and beyond.
Equal quantities of freshly mashed potato, tender cooked leeks, and cabbage or kale are combined with oodles of butter to make Ireland's oldest comfort food, called colcannon. It was traditionally served at Halloween but you will often find it on high-end Irish restaurants to this day!
Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland in 1589, but it took nearly four decades for the potato to spread to the rest of Europe. It wasn't until Prussia's King Fredrick planted potatoes during wartime hoping that peasants would start eating them.
Irish people began to mash their potatoes too, often with kale or cabbage in a traditional Irish recipe known as Colcannon. The mashed potato has remained an incredibly popular dish in Ireland for more than 200 years and is still found on most dinner tables throughout the country.
The words candy (Canada & US), sweets (UK, Ireland, and others), and lollies (Australia and New Zealand) are common words for some of the most popular varieties of sugar confectionery. The confectionery industry also includes specialized training schools and extensive historical records.
Bicky = slang term for biscuit. Bollix, is an Irish Slang term, comes from Bollocks, meaning testes but generally means someone who is annoying.