Northern Ireland delicacies

D.A.

GlynD wrote: »

Oh dear D.A. - the thread's still running. :rotfl:

Even if it wasn't, you'd just start a new one anyway.

GlynD

Ticked wrote: »

Think they call it a batch loaf on the offshore island. Good plain loaf is a rarity now, the main bakeries offerings are poor imitations. Even Irwin's Nutty Krust doesn't hit the spot. Best I've had recently came from a bakery in Newry but I can't remember the name. Belfast baps can be a good substitute - from the right bakery!

Is it Brennan's, the outfit in Newry? We buy their sliced pan and love it.

Ticked

GlynD wrote: »

Is it Brennan's, the outfit in Newry? We buy their sliced pan and love it.

No, after much thought it was McCanns bakery. Mind you, when I said 'recently' that could be several years ago.......

Artytarty

I bought a plain unsliced loaf in lidl yesterday. I like to use it to make the Christmas stuffing.

almillar

There's a gourmet corned beef from some butcher I can't quite remember the name of...
Also sausages are a big NI thing
We have the best lamb in the world, and meat in general (due to our lovely climate), as well as eels, but most of them get shipped out.
Big on bread and potato products too.
Black, white pudding.
Pastie - that's an NI thing isn't it? Not the pastry ones...
Eggs in a cup?
Bubble and Squeak?
Anything with turnip in it?

GlynD

almillar wrote: »

There's a gourmet corned beef from some butcher I can't quite remember the name of...
Also sausages are a big NI thing
We have the best lamb in the world, and meat in general (due to our lovely climate), as well as eels, but most of them get shipped out.
Big on bread and potato products too.
Black, white pudding.
Pastie - that's an NI thing isn't it? Not the pastry ones...
Eggs in a cup?
Bubble and Squeak?
Anything with turnip in it?

Corned beef. Now there's a thing. It's generally forgotten now that Ireland was once the centre of the world's corned beef trade. I wonder is it still made anywhere here? Is that why the corned beef you're talking about is "gourmet" - fresh local produce from locally farmed animals?

Mistral001

Rosehip syrup. Remember that? I am not sure if it is particular to NI or not but I remember getting it at school with rice pudding and we used to collect the rosehips which I believe were sold for making into the syrup.

GlynD

Mistral001 wrote: »

Rosehip syrup. Remember that? I am not sure if it is particular to NI or not but I remember getting it at school with rice pudding and we used to collect the rosehips which I believe were sold for making into the syrup.

I don't remember that but I was talking to the wife the other day about when Stormont introduced a scheme in the 60's to provide free vitamins for families. We used to get big tubs of Haliborange tablets, which tasted great but on top of that we had to take cod liver oil capsules which didn't.

When we were very young and there were still babies in the house we also had Gripe Water in the larder. I could've drunk that til the cows came home.

almillar

GlynD - it's from McCartney's, across the road from your favourites. It won a Great Taste 3* award a couple of years ago. Americans would call it cured beef really. Handmade and nothing like the muck you get in tins, which mostly come from Argentina and Brazil.

GlynD

almillar wrote: »

GlynD - it's from McCartney's, across the road from your favourites. It won a Great Taste 3* award a couple of years ago. Americans would call it cured beef really. Handmade and nothing like the muck you get in tins, which mostly come from Argentina and Brazil.

I know McCartney's very well and was a customer there for years. It's not been as popular with us in the last two years however as it seems to have changed into something which doesn't suit us. I'll have a word with the Meat Centre about corned beef and if they don't have the product then I'll visit McCartney's to buy some. I really love my bully beef.

Interestingly there's whole litany of stories about how corned beef was an Irish staple until the mass emigrations to America starting in the 1840's. Their eating habits there started a whole revolution in food for special occasions and is why what the Irish eat there is sometimes very different to what we eat at home.