“Would you like chips or potatoes with that” were the words I was asked at least once a day by servers during meals. Before my trip to Ireland the only thing that stuck out to me was a conversation I was told. The overheard conversation was heard by a friend of two women in a restaurant in Cork: “I’m on that low carb diet.” “But aren’t you eating potatoes?” “Well, you wouldn’t want to it THAT far”. Potatoes are big in Ireland and after hearing that conversation I did still not comprehend the seriousness of potatoes in Ireland, until I experienced it first-hand within the 14 days spent on the western side of Ireland.
In the two weeks in Ireland I ate potatoes at least once a day but most days I ate potatoes at twice. There are a few ways in which potatoes came in a meal, potatoes based soup, Chips(fries), actual potatoes chips, baked potatoes or mashed potatoes. One would think that potatoes originated in Ireland but they actually came from the United States. However, I live in the United states and around day five of eating potatoes daily , I Began to get tired of potatoes and began to wonder how the Irish people do it. But no wonder the Irish do not mind if potatoes are in every meal, potatoes are a superfood. Potatoes are considered healthy in which they contain all the vitamins needed and one can live a healthy life solely off of potatoes . Individuals lived of potatoes centuries ago, which is why when the Irish famine occurred. During the Irish famine 20% -25% of the population died but surprisingly still today potatoes are a large part of the Irish meals. Potatoes are at this point embedded in the Irish food culture, and a meal would not be a ‘real’ meal without potatoes.