Here's What Irish People Actually Eat on St. Patrick's Day

Easy Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

Growing up in Ireland, we never ate corned beef and cabbage on St. Patricks Day — nor did anyone we know. It's an American-Irish tradition, that just doesn't exist in Ireland. On our national feast day at home, we eat regular Irish food and perhaps drink a little extra to celebrate the day.

Here are just some of the different Irish foods you might find us eating on Paddy's Day (definitely not called St. Patty's Day), plus a well-known Irish hangover cure.

01 of 06

The Irish Fry

Irish Breakfast
AllrecipesPhoto

A fried Irish breakfast will set you up for the whole day. A traditional fry includes a few slices of bacon (we call them rashers), fried tomatoes, black pudding (blood sausage), brown soda bread, and a huge pot of tea.

02 of 06

Scones

Scones
Marlene

We love buttery scones. Homemade scones are available in every small corner shop, grocery store, and gas station and are best eaten with lots of salty Irish butter.

03 of 06

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread
foodelicious

Soda bread is a staple in Ireland. Brown soda bread is made with whole-wheat flour, buttermilk, and baking soda; and white soda bread is made with white flour. It's traditionally made into a round loaf with a cross etched in the center to keep the fairies out.

04 of 06

Simple Beef Pot Roast

Easy Pressure Cooker Pot Roast

A traditional Sunday roast dinner is very popular in Ireland. The roast meat is served with roasted potatoes, peas, carrots, and lashings of gravy. Nothing will taste as good as your Mammy's roast dinner.

05 of 06

Fresh Apple Tarts

Apple Tart
Photo by Meredith.

In the U.S., there is apple pie, but in Ireland we have apple tart. These rustic tarts are often baked on a plate, and made with homemade pastry and local apples. No matter where you go in Ireland, someone will always have rustled up a homemade apple tart.

06 of 06

The Hangover Cure

Crisp Sandwich
Getty Images / Stephen Barnes

St. Patrick's Day can be a day of heavy drinking, and the crisp sandwich is a well-known hangover cure. It's essentially some Irish potato chips sandwiched between two slices of buttered white bread.

Another cure for hangovers is a "flat 7Up," which is essentially some 7Up with a splash of hot water. It's widely believed a "flat 7Up" can cure almost anything.

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