Traditional Christmas Treats

[Mad Moose]

I'm just wondering if there is anything by way of christmas treats and traditions that are unique to Ireland?. I'm just organising some food for the last day at work tomorrow and wanted to take some foodstuffs that might be considered traditional and unique to Ireland.

Thanks

[strangeirish]

We used to have Christmas cake, but it's probably a bit late for that now. Fruitcake is another one. If you can't find any of that, just bring sligoman...;)

[Wolfie]

I'm just wondering if there is anything by way of christmas treats and traditions that are unique to Ireland?. I'm just organising some food for the last day at work tomorrow and wanted to take some foodstuffs that might be considered traditional and unique to Ireland.

Thanks

Potatoe and Cabbage in a Guinness sauce?

[Mr A]

Not Irish, but it's not Christmas without Tunnocks teacakes.

[passinginterest]

Only discovered those teacakes in the last year or two, they are easily the best tea cakes out there. For me it's not Christmas without a box of Caffrey's snowballs, usually eaten in one sitting.

[SkStu]

someone asked me this last saturday night in the bar (at the pub). I couldnt think of ANYTHING. I panicked and said "mince pies". It worked and an oft hilarious discussion of the differences between minced beef/pork pies and fruity mincemeat ensued. Though im pretty sure that they eat mincepies in Derbyshire.

By the way, do most people eat sausage meat & mashed potatoe based stuffing or sage and onion or another? The stuffing over here is bread based and is GACK.

[osarusan]

Jacobs biscuits (the dark red box with 2 layers) and Danish butter cookies (light blue round box). We seemed to end every Christmas with about 4 boxes of each after having visitors during the holiday.

[Schumi]

By the way, do most people eat sausage meat & mashed potatoe based stuffing or sage and onion or another? The stuffing over here is bread based and is GACK.

Sausage meat stuffing for me. I think the sage and onion type is more common though.

[SkStu]

Sausage meat stuffing for me. I think the sage and onion type is more common though.

yeah, same with my family. Its the superior stuffing by far.

[the 12 th man]

Chocolate covered Kimberley.

[Mad Moose]

Cheers folks. There's nothing native Irish to anything at all I've picked up. Bar the 4 cans of Guinness of course. They may take pride of place. There's very few of us about tomorrow so there should be some fun. Those snowballs are great actually. That said I was thinking Kimberly and Mikado are both Irish biscuits pretty much unknown to the rest of the world but I could be wrong. 2 very fine biscuit choices. Jacob's is a great shout actually but also available here I think.

I make a decent pork sausage stuffing using breadcrumbs and Lincolnshire sausages actually. I'm not making anything for this though that was the original idea. Thrown in a few Samosa's and Bhaji's and the customary mince pies.

Thanks for the ideas.

[Poor Student]

yeah, same with my family. Its the superior stuffing by far.

By a country mile. Is sausage stuffing exclusively Irish or were you just curious?

[Dodge]

Not Irish, but it's not Christmas without Tunnocks teacakes.

Fully endorsed.

[Magicme]

Sage and onion stuffing especially with 4 veggies at dinner.

Anyone else have bread sauce? It's my favourite bit of the whole meal.

Tins of roses always play a lead role at Christmas in our house as does a good cheese board. Yumm. Prefer he cheese to chocolate myself.

[dahamsta]

I've never seen chocolate-covered Kimberley except at xmas. But of course, sadly, Jacobs isn't an Irish company any more.

[the 12 th man]

But of course, sadly, Jacobs isn't an Irish company any more.


Forgot about that but when munched after being chilled (chocolate nice and crunchy) you'll still enjoy those chocolate covered Kimberley :tongue::love::eat:

[Dodge]

I've never seen chocolate-covered Kimberley except at xmas. But of course, sadly, Jacobs isn't an Irish company any more.

Either is Guinness. Chocolate covered kimberly is a great shout

[dahamsta]

Can you buy a pint of Irish-owned stout any more? Beamish went to Heineken a few years ago, I'll never drink a pint of Red again. Who owns Murphys?

Can't stand choccy kimberley meself, sister loves 'em. Couldn't resist a box of Afternoon Tea this year though, jelly stars are still lovely despite the smaller biscuit. :)

[Dodge]

Could only have the one myself but there's no doubt that they're an 'Irish Christmas Treat'. There a few oddities in world cuisine that are 100% Irish. Apart from those mentioned we have red lemonade, Chicken Balls and battered burgers. Yeah, thats right, Chicken Balls is capitalised

Murphy's is owned by heineken too.

[razor]

Spiced Beef sandwiches with Chef Brown sauce washed down with a can of club lemon.
Regular Kimberly and a cup of Barrys tea to finish.

[SkStu]

Yumm. Prefer he cheese to chocolate myself.

youre probably the only girl i know who likes a bit of "he-cheese"...

[the 12 th man]

Just had a chocolate covered Kimberley with a cup of tea:cool:-the power of suggestion :D

[Aberdonian Stu]

Can you buy a pint of Irish-owned stout any more? Beamish went to Heineken a few years ago, I'll never drink a pint of Red again. Who owns Murphys?


I think Murphys and Beamish are both Heineken owned, they only sell the latter in Ireland these days.

More importantly, yes you can buy Irish stout by Irish owned breweries. O'Hara's stout from Carlow and the Dungarvan Brewery also make one. There are also some Northern Irish owned ones under the College Green label.

[Magicme]

youre probably the only girl i know who likes a bit of "he-cheese"...

Ooops inconvenient typo or froidian slip. You decide.

[dahamsta]

More importantly, yes you can buy Irish stout by Irish owned breweries.

Sorry, I meant mainstream brands. There's also the Franciscan Well in Cork, which gets about a bit. Can't remember what their stout is, but I could drink Rebel Red until the cows come home.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Well on the upside craft beers/stouts are becoming more commonplace. A lot of pubs' own-brand stuff is relabelled from the craft breweries I referred to there and a few others.