Food Awareness

Before coming to Ireland, I was very concerned about foods I was going to eat here since I am a vegetarian. I had this preconceived idea in my head that all people ate here was corned beef or beef stew. I actually thought that the only foods I would be able to eat were potatoes for every meal. To my surprise, the stereotypes in my head were proved wrong the day I arrived in Ireland. My friend Bailey and I arrived a day early so we had time to explore and our first meal was lunch at a sandwich shop. I was able to eat a mozzarella, tomato, and pesto sandwich that I very much enjoyed. Breakfast foods here are the easiest since our most common breakfast meals have been toast and cereal. For lunch and dinners I was served a whole array of different foods such as: soups, pastas, salads, sandwiches, veggies, and quiches.

           Food here in Ireland is certainly different than what I am used to back in America. Back home, we are given so many different options of food. You could see Chinese, Italian, Mexican, and Thai restaurants all on one block and a lot of options to choose from. When looking for restaurants here in Ireland, the foods I have seen so far have stuck to the same agenda. For lunch it is common to see soups and sandwiches and then for dinner it is common to see potatoes, beef, chicken, pork, and salmon dishes. Common desserts that I have seen include apple crisp and brownies, all common in America as well.

           Service with the food is very different to me as well. The food you order here in Ireland comes out extremely fast, versus America where your food takes you a very long time. You can also tell they really value their food here and want you to enjoy and finish your whole meal. Back in the states they serve large portions and seem to not even care if you finish it or not. The food also tastes different in a pleasant way. Irish food tastes fresh and healthy while American food tastes processed, salty, and reheated. So many people here also grow their own fruits and vegetables and the food here is prided in being fresh and healthy. Even how meats are prepared in Ireland surpasses how American’s handle meat. America steps away from farms and switches to factories, holding animals in small cages and using antibiotics and hormones. Animals here roam freely and eat healthy grass and live healthy lives. Overall, it is clear to me that Ireland truly cares about the food they grow and serve and cherish every meal that comes their way.