Irish food is underrated. Most think of fish and chips, potatoes or hardy soda bread when the Emerald Isle’s cuisine comes to mind. While those are delicious, Éire is also a county of fresh seafood, farm to table fare, and artisan sweets. While I explored Ireland, I sampled some of their best regional eats and they were delicious! Here are 5 local foods to try in Ireland! Tayto Original Irish Crisp Potato chips are called crisps in Ireland. Tayto is THE brand and has been a staple in pantries across the country since 1954. The original flavor is cheese and onion. They don’t produce a plain version. Other choices include prawn cocktail and smokey bacon, with limited editions of roasted chicken and pickled onion, to name a few. Being a self professed potato chip junkie, I’ve tasted different kinds of the savory snack around the world. Tayto is definitely one of the best. They’re light and have the right amount of salt. If you can’t wait until you visit Ireland to try the popular snack, they’re available to order here: https://amzn.to/3k8Aw6s. Quinland's Portmagee Crab Claws I still dream of these sizzling crustaceans tossed in garlic butter and served with crunchy sourdough bread. They’re fished in County Kerry’s village of Portmagee off the southwest coast of Ireland. Their motto is “from tide to table.” Papa Quinland started the business 60 years ago. His sons now run the show. They are maintaining the same freshness and sustainability. There are six Quinland Seafood Bars in the Republic of Ireland. They serve whatever has been caught; squid, salmon, prawns, hake. But I highly recommend the crab claws. Murphy's Brown Bread Ice Cream The most common bread in Ireland paired with cream from Kerry cows culminates in this super yummy ice cream.
Irish food is underrated. Most think of fish and chips, potatoes or hardy soda bread when the Emerald Isle’s cuisine comes to mind. While those are delicious, Éire is also a county of fresh seafood, farm to table fare, and artisan sweets. While I explored Ireland, I sampled some of their best regional eats and
Just in time for summer, the San Diego Zoo opened its new Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. Built on the site of the former Children’s Zoo, this three acre interactive exhibit is designed to educate guests of all ages on wildlife conservation. It especially caters to kids, showing them the role they play in creating a world where all life thrives. Wildlife Explorers Basecamp is divided into four zones — Rainforest, Wild Woods, Marsh Meadows, and Desert Dunes. Eight buildings and habitats dispersed throughout the zones feature wildlife that live in these ecosystems. Each has unique offerings including water play, a tree house, touch-screen games, and artificial intelligence (AI) to name a few. Here’s what to expect on your visit to Wildlife Explorers Basecamp! Rainforest A 10,000 square-foot building dubbed “Spineless Marvels” houses the fascinating world of invertebrates. Inside, a huge, floor-to-ceiling fiberglass honeycomb signals visitors they’re entering the bee exhibit. Along the wall, glass panes allow a peek into a real-life working beehive. While most of us know one or two bee species, there are in fact over 4,000 different kinds! Spiders, scorpions, leafcutter ants, jungle nymphs, grasshoppers and other insects live here, too. Curators took graphics to the next level with colorful, cartoon murals depicting the role these creatures play in nature. The pièce-de-résistance is on the dome ceiling where an animated meadow is projected with hundreds of fluttering Monarch butterflies and dragonflies. Wild Woods A 20-foot tree stands in the middle of this playground area. Children can run with abandon across a suspension bridge and through a tunnel made of rope, mimicking the nearby squirrel monkeys who swing on ropes and romp in their enclosure. On hot days, the splash-pad complete with waterfall, meandering stream, and water jets offer a respite from the heat. Marsh Meadows The aptly named
Just in time for summer, the San Diego Zoo opened its new Wildlife Explorers Basecamp. Built on the site of the former Children’s Zoo, this three acre interactive exhibit is designed to educate guests of all ages on wildlife conservation. It especially caters to kids, showing them the role they play in creating a world
The Lunar New Year is Sunday, January 22nd. The holiday is determined by a traditional Chinese calendar, which is based on the moon’s cycle and the Earth’s course around the sun. It falls on the second new moon after winter solstice. Each Lunar New Year is associated with an animal; 2023 is the year of the rabbit. Just as we do in America, people in China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and other countries celebrate their new year with favorite foods. Most importantly, many dishes are thought to bring good fortune, prosperity, and health in the year ahead. Over the years, I’ve hosted dozens of foreign exchange students from the Orient. Each taught me techniques for preparing foods from their homeland. I’m astonished how a few ingredients mingled in a pan result in such flavorful dishes. While the following recipes will adorn new year’s tables, they can be eaten year round. So grab your wok and let’s get cooking! Here are five, simple Lunar New Year recipes! Stir-Fried Lettuce Lettuce is a popular vegetable for Chinese New Year. The Cantonese word for lettuce sounds like “rising fortune.” For this reason it’s a must have at holiday feasts. Ingredients: 1 head iceberg lettuce 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon sugar ground pepper to taste 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 slice ginger (1/8” thick, smashed with the side of a knife) 1 clove of garlic (chopped) Recipe & preparation: Take the lettuce and firmly hit it on the counter, core side down. Turn over and remove the loosened core. Remove the outer layer and any discolored leaves of the lettuce. Discard. Tear the lettuce with your hands into large 4”- 5” pieces. Place the lettuce in a large bowl of very
The Lunar New Year is Sunday, January 22nd. The holiday is determined by a traditional Chinese calendar, which is based on the moon’s cycle and the Earth’s course around the sun. It falls on the second new moon after winter solstice. Each Lunar New Year is associated with an animal; 2023 is the year of
