2,628,002 seconds, 43,800 minutes, 730 hours, 30 days. Time flies by no matter which way you count it. As of today, I have officially been living in Ireland for one month and it flew by faster than any of these numbers. When I looked at the calendar the other day, I could hardly believe that time had flown by so quickly. I just got here! I still have so much to do and see! Aside from a small panic attack that time was passing way to fast, I remembered that in this one simple month, I have done many new things, learned so much more than I could have imagined, and met some extraordinary people along the way. And all of this in just one month.
In learning and experiencing a lot and since my arrival I have received the same question from friends and family back home. How is the food? What are you eating? So, I figured this week I would take a moment to take your tastebuds on a delectable journey, debunk some of the food myths, and fill you in on what you can and can not find here in Ireland. First off, yes, in Ireland you eat PLENTY of potatoes. And when I say plenty, I mean plenty. They are a must to almost every meal. And the funny thing is.......I'm not really a fan of potatoes. I'd rather not eat them. However, in moving to another country you have to accept that their ways of living will not be like your own so you have to swallow (literally) your dislikes and eat that potato!!! Of course the potatoes are usually baked or stewed and almost always accompanied by carrots, sweet potatoes (which oddly enough I love), or green beans. Now, one meal that folks back home wouldn't consider an Irish delicacy, but that usually lines the dinner tables at least once a week, is chicken curry! I know, I thought it was odd as well but it's very good! Chicken curry is just as it sounds, chicken and curry usually served with white rice and bread. It looks similar to the traditional Mexican dish Mole, just not as dark. Also, depending on the kind of curry the cook uses, the dish can be very spicy! So naturally, I like it! A very famous Irish meal that is known around the world and is actually served often in Irish homes is that of the Shepherds Pie. I actually had that yesterday! So yes, that meal is a regular. And yes, it involves potatoes! And what many people don't know is that their is also a sister to the Shepherds Pie and that is the Cottage Pie. They are basically the same except for one thing. The meat. So write this down. If someone is offering you a Shepherds Pie, then that means you will be eating ground Lamb Meat and a mashed potato crust. If you are eating Cottage Pie, you will be eating either ground beef or mutton with a mashed potato crust. As of this moment, I have only had the Irish beef version. Or at least that is what I have been told.... Recently at a neighbors house I was served Shepherds Pie, everyone makes things differently and this one had a distinct taste that I couldn't figure out. I guess the neighbors saw this and asked me if something was wrong, I said, "No, it's very delicious but I've just never tasted beef life this before." This followed by a pause that I believe was longer than necessary and they just smiled and moved on. I don't know if they were scared to tell me it could be mutton - I'm still not sure if it was?- or if they don't think it needed to be explained, but believe me, this kind of thing happens to me a lot. Now let's talk about fish. Since I live right off the river, naturally you can bet I eat a good amount of fish. The species can range from brown trout to salmon and I most typically eat salmon here. Just recently I had smoked salmon on pesto pasta. Yes, it was delicious and very healthy! So if you ever come to Ireland and stay for a while, you can bet on having fish often! Fruit is also a major part of life here and I love it! The fruit is not grown here in Ireland and like most countries has to be sent in. The oranges and avocados are from South Arica, the apples are from France, bananas from Belize, and our kiwis are from New Zealand. By Irish law every food must be labeled with the country of origin or it cannot be sold. I think it is fascinating to see where the food comes from and like me, how far some of it has to travel to be here. Almost every person on the world LOVE'S bread and I can tell you that Europeans take that to a whole new level! There's bread everywhere here! And literally almost around every corner. Every day on my way into town I pass by the cutest little bread store where the owners are hard at work baking every type of bread you can imagine. Completely fresh! And boy does it smell good!! Bread is a staple for any meal you have. Breakfast- you'll most likely have toast or a bagel. Lunch- you'll most likely having a sandwich, toast, or some sort of wrap. At dinner your meal is usually accompanied by a roll of some sort. Bead is everywhere here! And what surprised me most was that butter ALWAYS accompanies your bread. Even on your sandwiches! Instead of mayonnaise this is what you would do. You would spread a generous amount of butter on BOTH sides of your bread. Then you would layer your Irish ham, cheese, and cucumbers. And as Emeril would say, "BAM!" There's your Irish sandwich. And sometimes, if your walking through town or down your lane and someone invites you in for tea and a snack, you will either receive some biscuits or a sandwich! This first time I was offered biscuits for a snack, I had one thought, "biscuits? That's the weirdest thing to invite someone in for!?" But of course I accepted and when asked about how many I wanted I only said' "one please." When the biscuits were brought out and I saw that biscuits her mean cookies. Of course I quickly changed my tune and said, "Keep the biscuits coming!" As for the sweets, you can't get any better than the homemade desserts of any of the small bakeries here! From lemon tarts to chocolate mouse pies, everything is beyond delicious. And don't even get me started on the chocolates! They are so milky and creamy that you are sad after you've finished a piece......or a bar. Funny enough it's the opposite of home, where the cheap chocolate taste gross and the expensive chocolate is the good stuff. Here, the cheap chocolate is the best and the expensive stuff tastes like plastic. Needless to say I've never wasted any of my hard earned Euros on expensive plastic chocolate! I've been stalking up on sweets to send home that the owner of the shop now tells me this every time I walk in, "Maizie, I just stalked the chocolate and left the creamy ones on top for you!" Here in Ireland, even things you would expect to be the same are different. Take McDonald's for example. One won't be able to find a jalapeño burger or even something similar to what you could order back home right now. Nope, here the menus are tailored to the country. So instead of a The McChicken, you will find the McMor, 100% Irish beef and bacon, layered cabbage, cheddar, and Ballymaloe relish. Does that sound appetizing to you? I haven't tried it yet but I most likely will. However, coming from Texas I really only have one thing to say, "What does a girl have to do to get some Texas beef?!" Before I left home, I had a lot of people telling me what I would and would not be able to find here in Ireland. And I am glad to announce (for my sake) that most of them we're wrong. Many people told me I wouldn't find peanut butter. That myth is false. IRELAND DOES HAVE PEANUT BUTTER. It is not the extra creamy kind we have back home, but it makes a PB&J just fine. I also thought I would never see jalapeños here but they are surprisingly common! I know, weird! Ireland also has Oreos, Reese's peanut butter cups, snickers, and many other American candies. I was surprised to see how Americanized the food selection was! So if you come to visit, rest assured that you do not need to take up luggage space for your favorite treats back home. You'll find them here, and if you don't, you can just find something else you love. I know, I seem like an expert and it's only been one month. But you learn a lot when you're constantly taking in a new culture on a daily basis. But Instead of looking at it like I have 11 more months to go, I see it as I only have 11 months left. There's a lot more I still want to do, people I want to meet, foods I want to try, and before I leave I have to seek the answer to the everlasting question that I am not sure will be answered........what was in that Shepherds Pie?
3 Comments
Kathleen Ainsworth
10/3/2015 05:02:41 pm
Love hearing from you. It's good to know I've been making cottage pie all these years and not Shepard's pie as I've been calling it. Keep the posts coming. :)
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Marsha Coon
10/5/2015 10:12:48 am
We're so glad you're having this awesome adventure. Are you teaching now, taking classes, or just getting to know the culture?
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Marie Alcantara
10/11/2015 04:49:53 pm
Maizie and her AMAIZIEING adventures🙌🙌👏👏👌👌😁😁 love your story telling😍love your posts every time i read one I can't wait for the next one!! Keep posting your AMAIZIEING adventures!!
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