Irish Stew

Irish cuisine is a style of cooking originating from Ireland. It has evolved from centuries of social and political change and it has been influenced by the different cultures on the island. The cuisine is also influenced by the crops grown and animals farmed in Ireland’s temperate climate. Perhaps the most famous dish in Irish cuisine is ‘Irish stew’. It is a stew made from any animal and root vegetable native to Ireland. Like many traditional dishes, there is no exact recipe for Irish stew. It changes from place to place and season to season. The meat used in the stew is lamb or mutton. In the old times, mutton was the dominant ingredient because the economic importance of sheep lay in their wool and milk produce. Mutton has a stronger flavour and is also fattier than lamb. So today, using lamb or mutton in an Irish stew is a taste preference. Many food historians believe that goat was originally the meat of choice, eventually being replaced by lamb and mutton. Other ingredients include potatoes, onions and parsley. It may sometimes include carrots. Stewing is an ancient method of cooking meat around the world. However , Irish people did not have cauldrons until the 17th century AD. After cauldrons were imported to Britain, the cauldron became the dominant cooking tool in ancient Ireland. The cooking of root vegetables and meat for the stew then became very popular throughout Ireland.