The food of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are very different, despite sharing the same island. The North has a more British influence. These are some of the Northern Ireland dishes you must try when visiting.
It was strange to travel to Northern Ireland. The North of Ireland was an unknown territory for us. We have been visiting the Republic of Ireland since the 1990s and live in southern Ireland, but this is the first time we have seen the North. We wanted to know more about the food of Northern Ireland and how it differed from Irish cuisine from the South and the United Kingdom.
Our trip began in Belfast and continued westward to Derry. We stopped in a few small seaside towns to enjoy the scenery and experience the local life. We ate, drank, and enjoyed every moment of the trip.
This post contains links that are compensated. You can find more information in my Disclaimer. As an Amazon Associate, I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Northern Ireland Food – What To Eat in Northern Ireland
This post will discuss the Northern Ireland dishes you should try when visiting this region. As with our Edinburgh Food Guide, it is hard to distinguish between “Irish,” “British,” or “British” food in this region.
Our recommendations are based on what we ate and researched before our trip to Northern Ireland. Our years of eating in Ireland made us think about the uniqueness and differences of eating in Northern Ireland.
The Ulster Fry is a Northern Irish breakfast.
Breakfast is usually a bowl of cereal, some fruit, yogurt with muesli, and toast. It’s usually cereal. When we land in Ireland, it means proper fries. We ate a lot of large breakfasts in Northern Ireland – much more than usual. Every place we stayed offered a fry for breakfast.
Ulster fry, a massive plate of breakfast goodness in Northern Ireland, quickly became my favorite food. The Ulster fry is a large plate of breakfast goodies that includes Irish pork sausages, rashers, black and white pudding, beans, grilled tomato halves, and toast and butter.
Don’t hesitate to try black pudding if you haven’t before. This savory sausage-shaped blood pudding is made with oatmeal, pork, onions, and blood. It’s less scary than Morcilla, the Spanish blood sausage because it contains more oatmeal. Try it. If you’re still skeptical, try white pudding. It is made from similar ingredients but without the blood.
Soda Farl And Potato Bread
The Northern Ireland version of the fry differed from what we’re used to eating in the South. It included two new fried pieces that we had never tried before. First, we had a delicious fried bread piece with egg yolk.
The second was soft and fried, almost like potatoes, but not crisp like hash browns. We also got regular toast. Each Irish fry came with toast, fried potatoes, and fried bread.
Sandwiches of traditional Irish dishes – Baps
Over the past 20 years, we’ve traveled to Ireland. During those trips, baps were something I only saw occasionally. They are similar to hamburger buns. The baps are filled with different ingredients to create a sandwich.
There are many different types of baps. Breakfast baps are Ulster Fries in sandwich form. You can make a bap using back bacon, cured pig belly, and HP brown sauce. Yum!
Irish Boxty
There are many names for the Irish Potato Boxty. The Irish Potato Boxty is also known as “Poundy” or “Poundies,” and by its Gaelic name, “Bacstai,” or “Aran bochtti,” which means “poor house bread.” The Irish Potato Boxty, or Poundy, is a humble and simple dish made from finely grated potato, flour, baking powder, buttermilk, and sometimes eggs.
The result of frying a pancake in butter is a thick, roughly-cut pancake. Boxties can be served with salmon, bacon, black or white puds, or fried egg. This dish is associated with County Mayo in Ulster and the Republic of Ireland.
Irish Salmon
Salmon is not our favorite fish. We don’t like salmon for some reason. It’s a shame, as local Irish salmon is on almost every menu.
In Ireland, salmon is an indigenous fish. Salmon thrives in many freshwater rivers throughout the North and South. Salmon is smoked in Ireland. It’s a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids. Smoking salmon was a way to preserve it before refrigeration. Salmon is served cold, grilled, or hot in a bowl of seafood soup. Smoked Salmon is often served as an appetizer.
Local Lobster and Seafood
Ireland is known for its incredible seafood. After all, it is an island. Northern Ireland can enjoy a variety of seafood thanks to the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. For many years, the majority of seafood caught in Ireland was exported. This trend is changing, which is a good thing.
You’ll find scallops, mussels, and oysters caught locally in restaurants all over Northern Ireland. Even lobsters and crabs are available. Cod, turbot, skate, and other fish species around Northern Ireland.