Hello readers!
In this blog post, I'll be writing about (1) my experience at a dinner party in Ireland with several other international students and (2) the Irish foods I've had during my stay.
International Dinner Party in Dublin, Ireland
German, French, Spanish, Finnish, and an American (me) all prepared local dishes from our home countries, or personal favorite meals.
From Germany, there were Pfeffernüsse (German Spice Cookies) dusted with powdered sugar; it tasted like Christmas, but in the form of a cookie!
From Finland, there was a Mustikkapiirakka (Finnish Blueberry Pie). The pie tasted almost like a blueberry cheesecake. Needless to say, it was a favorite among everyone because there wasn't a single slice left.
From Spain, there were flamenquines (which translates to "small flamenco dancer") along with torrijas for desert. Flamenquines are essentially a fried ham and cheese roll. I never thought I would have had the chance to try flamenquines, but shout out to Javier for coming through with the vegan ham from Lidl! Torrijas, my personal favorite, were slices of bread soaked in milk and coated in cinnamon and sugar-- the more cinnamon they were coated with, the better.
I brought a spinach and tomato dal (Indian lentil soup) made with lentils, tomatoes, and spinach and served with rice.
We all gathered around the table, and passed around dishes to try. It was truly an amazing experience to be there and chat with other people of different cultural backgrounds and share good, homecooked meals together.
Foods I've Tried in Ireland
March 1st of 2022 marked Pancake (or Shrove) Tuesday in Ireland-- it's the day before Ash Wednesday. Elsewhere, it's called Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"). It's observed by many Christians, and it's tradition to hold pancake breakfasts before the start of Lent. Lent is observed by taking up Lenten sacrifice: fasting and abstaining from pleasures (i.e., coffee, television, or sweets). During the Lenten fasting period (40 days) rich foods such as sugar, fat, milk, and eggs were forbidden so Pre-Lenten fasting was done in preparation for Lent wherein all the forbidden ingredients were all used up. For example, King Cake is the pre-lenten treat of choice in New Orleans in the U.S.
In Ireland the traditional pancake served is a rolled crepe with lemon juice and sugar inside.
Bray to Greystone Hiking Trip ft. Fish and Chips from Sweeney's
