What's for St. Patrick's Day 2025? Traditional Irish specialities

Published by Manon de Sortiraparis · Published on February 10, 2025 at 11:52 a.m.
On March 17, it's time once again to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the streets, pubs and restaurants of Paris. But just how well do you know the star dishes of Irish cuisine? Here's a quick rundown of traditional Irish specialities to whet your appetite!

With St. Patrick's Day 2025 fast approaching, it's more than ever time to get ready for this traditional festival celebrating Ireland's patron saint, St. Patrick, every March 17. While some will be rushing to the costume stores of Paris to find the perfect green wig or leprechaun costume, others will be busy discovering the most famous dishes of Irish gastronomy and, why not, trying to reproduce them at home.

Although tasty, Irish cuisine is not the most famous in the world. Cabbage is a key ingredient, as is lamb, which is widely used, and beer, which is often used in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Introduced to Ireland in the 15th century, the potato is also an integral part of Irish gastronomy. Despite the great famine of the 19th century, also known as theIrish potato famine, the potato is still found in many traditional recipes.

And while breakfast - combining sweet and savory flavors, and hearty enough to keep your belly going all day long - is a must, fish and seafood have never really found their way onto the country's tables, despite Ireland being an island; pretty crazy, right?

Irish stew, colcannon, coddle, boxty... Let's discover traditional specialties straight from Eire, accompanied by a pint of Guinness or any other stout!

  • Irish stew
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Considered the national dish, Irish stew is indeed the flagship dish of Irish gastronomy, found in pubs, restaurants and homes alike. Ingredients may vary from place to place and from family to family, and there are beef and mutton variants, but Irish stew is traditionally made with lamb.
At the crossroads of soup and stew, stobhach Gaelach (in Gaelic) is a richly flavored, comforting dish. This lamb stew, cooked for at least two hours in an oven casserole, is generally composed of potatoes, carrots and onions, and served with a slice of brown bread to sop up every last drop. It's THE traditional St. Patrick's Day dish!
  • Shepherd's Pie

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Although its name is reminiscent of a pie,"shepherd's pie" is actually closer to our national shepherd's pie. Originally from England, this dish was so successful in Ireland that it quickly became a classic of the local cuisine.

Looking like a hearty gratin, this Irish specialty consists of a layer of lamb or beef - known as cottage pie - and a layer of vegetables, usually carrots and peas. The whole thing is topped with a layer of mashed potatoes au gratin made from breadcrumbs and cheese.

  • Colcannon

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Easy to prepare, economical and nutritious, colcannon is a thick purée made with potatoes, green cabbage or kale cut into strips, an onion fried in butter and milk. Some families add crème fraiche, ham or bacon for an even more delicious taste.

Served as aside dish throughout the winter, this dish is particularly popular at Halloween. According to tradition, a coin, thimble, button or ring is hidden inside, and once found, brings good luck to the guest who missed breaking a tooth. A sort of Irish "galette des Rois", in short.

  • Coddle

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Better known as Dublin Coddle, coddle comes, as the name suggests, from Dublin. This economical and popular dish is a sort of broth into which leftovers are slipped at the end of a working week.

Although recipes vary from family to family and depend on what's available in the fridge, coddle generally consists of pork sausages, bacon, potatoes,onions- in other words, the star ingredients of Irish cooking - cooked in chicken stock. A hearty, comforting stew usually enjoyed on a Saturday evening, accompanied by a pint of beer.

  • Le boxty

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Also known as poundy, boxty is a pancake-like pancake with a crunchy-melt texture, made from mashed potatoes, grated raw potatoes, buttermilk, flour and salt.

Boxties are usually served at breakfast with eggs and bacon, at dinner with a nice slice of smoked salmon, or as an accompaniment to many dishes.

  • Bangers and mash

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Yes, another potato dish! Bangers and mash is the flagship dish of Irish pub grub.

It's simply mashed potatoes and onions with sausages, similar to the equally simplistic mashed potato and sausage dish still found today in Parisian brasseries and bouillons.

  • Bacon and cabbage

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Bacon and cabbage, too, is a dish you'll find on the menu of any Irish roadhouse or pub. Like our steak and French fries, this economical dish is easy to make at home, and consists of slices of cooked bacon with mashed potatoes and cabbage, topped with a garlic and herb sauce.

  • The seafood chowder

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At last, some fish! Similar to the chowder of Charente-Maritime and Vendée, seafood chowder is a thick soup made with several fresh fish from the day's catch, usually salmon, haddock or hake. Shellfish, vegetables - potatoes, carrots, celery - and spices are then added.

A creamy dish to be eaten piping hot in Ireland's small coastal villages, to comfort you after a cool or rainy day.

  • Guinness Pie

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It's no secret that the Irish love beer. But they also love to cook beer-based recipes! The best example is Guinness pie, a meat and stout pie. Beneath the golden pastry crust is a beer-flavored beef stew, simmered for hours.

A hearty dish found in pubs across the country, accompanied by a good pint, of course. The sweet counterpart to this Guinness pie is chocolate Guinness cake, a chocolate and beer dessert served in Irish homes on special occasions.

  • Full Irish breakfast

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As in England, breakfast in Ireland is an important part of the day. Generous, easy and quick to prepare, the traditional Irish breakfast should keep you going all morning. This"Irish fry" includes many of the same dishes as their English neighbors.

On the menu: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, black or white pudding, potato pancakes, tomatoes, mushrooms, beans and porridge. Serve with a cup of black tea or coffee.

The Irish also have many bread recipes, such as the slightly tartIrish soda bread, made with bicarbonate of soda, buttermilk, flour and salt, to which dried fruit, seeds and spices can be added; barmbrack, a sweet bread with dried fruit traditionally eaten at Halloween; and of course brown bread, a dark loaf with a thick, fragrant crumb and a strong taste.

  • Irish apple crumble cake

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When it comes to sweet treats, the Irish loveIrish apple crumble cake, a moist yet crisp cake eaten for breakfast or a snack, accompanied by a cup of tea. It's a cake of melting apples topped with a crisp, golden crumble crust.

  • Irish tea brack

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Another sweet specialty is theIrish tea brack, a traditional cake made with dried fruit macerated in black tea. A moist dessert, it's usually served as an afternoon snack duringHalloween and St. Patrick's Day.

  • Hot cross buns

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Enjoyed in most English-speaking countries with a cup of tea or coffee, hot cross buns are also served in Ireland with a cold beer.

Sold in bakeries or homemade, these sweet rolls with spices, dried fruit or candied fruit such as citrus fruit, are among the traditional delicacies that we munch on in the run-up to Easter.

  • Irish coffee

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It's impossible not to mention the quintessential Irish drink - alongside beer, of course - the Irish coffee. Made with coffee, Irish whiskey, cane sugar and freshly whipped cream, this hot cocktail is perfect for sipping at any time of the day, as a refreshing drink after a tiring day.

So, which of these Irish specialities appeals to you most?

Practical information

Dates and Opening Time
On March 17, 2025

× Approximate opening times: to confirm opening times, please contact the establishment.
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