Top 5 Summer Foods in Ireland: Cool Love Songs

Summer in Ireland is not as blazing as the Mediterranean, but a cool love song, with clear blue skies, green fields bathed in pale yellow sunlight and the gentle Atlantic Ocean caressing the white sand. Irish cuisine in the summer reflects that beauty: fresh, rustic but sophisticated, containing the flavors of the land, wind, sea and long-standing traditions. Join Vietravel on a journey to discover the top 5 summer dishes in Ireland, where flavors and memories blend into stories that linger in the hearts of diners.

1. Chowder - Irish Seafood

Seafood chowder is a sweet invitation from the sea (Image source: Collected)

On the list of Irish summer dishes, seafood chowder is a sweet invitation from the sea. Ireland is surrounded by the deep blue ocean, and fresh seafood is always a source of pride for the people here.

Irish Seafood Chowder is a thick, creamy soup made with cream, butter and a sweet fish stock. Inside is a fusion of fresh prawns, smooth pink salmon, white cod, shiny black mussels and sometimes tender squid. Small diced potatoes, onions, celery and carrots add a filling and nutritious texture to the soup.

As summer approaches, the air in Ireland remains cool, and a bowl of hot chowder is like a soft blanket to warm up an afternoon on the beach. But not only is it warm, chowder is also refreshing with the taste of the ocean, as each piece of seafood breaks into a sweet, fragrant blue sea. Served with toasted soda bread, dipped in the creamy soup, it is a simple yet sophisticated culinary experience.

2. Fresh Oyster

Eating fresh oysters is a summer ritual in Ireland (Photo source: Collected)

Talking about summer food in Ireland without mentioning fresh oysters is truly an unforgivable omission. Ireland is world famous for its vast oyster beds, salty sea water and cold all year round, making oysters grow slowly, thick meat, rich flavor and pure sweetness.

Summer is the best time to enjoy fresh oysters in Ireland. When the golden sunlight gently spreads over the sea, the restaurants along the harbor are bustling with diners ordering plates of freshly shucked oysters. Squeeze a juicy slice of lemon over the oyster, still smelling of sea salt, a drop of red Tabasco like a flame, then lift the oyster shell and feel the cool salty taste rush into your mouth.

It is the taste of the sea, of the untamed ocean, strong yet delicate. Eating fresh oysters is a summer ritual in Ireland: people gather around rustic wooden tables, raise glasses of black Guinness, clink glasses and laugh, then fall silent for a moment as the taste of the sea settles on the tongue.

Oysters are more than just a summertime treat in Ireland, they are part of our culinary heritage. At the Galway oyster festival, thousands of people flock to eat, drink, sing and tell stories. Each oyster is a jewel of the sea, a source of pride and an invitation for us all to come closer to nature and our community.

3. Smoked Salmon

Smoked salmon is the pride of Ireland (Photo source: Collected)

Summertime in Ireland is not complete without smoked salmon – a source of pride for Ireland's crystal clear rivers and endless coastline. Ireland has a long tradition of smoking salmon, and summer is when it is at its freshest, most fatty and succulent.

Irish smoked salmon is not as strong as some other places, but retains a delicate, light flavor, with a hint of oak or apple wood used for smoking. Each slice of fish is as thin as a petal flower, naturally pink, shimmering with a layer of silky fat. When placed on the tongue, it melts, leaving a sweet, fatty aftertaste and a gentle smoky scent like a forest breeze.

In the Irish summer, picnics on the green grass are not complete without smoked salmon. People sandwich it on soda bread, spread it with golden salted butter, add some crunchy cucumber and cool herbs. A glass of cool white Sauvignon Blanc on the side makes the salmon taste more prominent, like a rare ray of sunshine through gray clouds.

Smoked salmon is not only a summer dish in Ireland, but also a symbol of the union between man and nature. It is the Irish way of preserving the taste of the rivers and mountains, and sharing it with the world through each delicate slice of fish.

4. Summer Berry Pavlova

Summer Berry Pavlova is a lyrical song of fertile land and colorful gardens (Image source: Collected)

Amidst the salty, seaside flavors of Irish summer, Summer Berry Pavlova is a lyrical ode to fertile soil and colorful gardens.

Ireland has cool, humid summers that allow strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackcurrants to flourish in the orchards. The fruit is red, sweet and juicy like little gems, soaking up the gentle sunshine of the temperate zone. Pavlova – a dessert of crispy meringue on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, topped with creamy whipped cream and summer fruit – is the perfect way to celebrate it all.

Come summer, every cafe from Dublin to Cork serves Pavlova, a mountain of fresh summer fruit, coated in a thin layer of sugar that glisten like morning dew. Take a bite and the meringue bursts into a cloud of sweetness, the whipped cream melts like the morning sun, while the berries burst sweet and sour on the tongue, evoking images of sun-drenched Irish gardens.

Summer Berry Pavlova is not only a summer dish in Ireland, but also a reminder of the rustic, rich and poetic beauty of this green island. It is the dessert of lazy afternoons in the garden, of laughter and endless conversation.

5. Irish Cheese Platter

A summer Irish cheese platter is often served with hot toasted soda bread (Photo source: Collected)

Irish cuisine is unpretentious yet rich in depth, and nothing says it better than a platter of local cheeses, artisan bread and summer fruit preserves. This is an Irish summer dish that every foodie should try.

Ireland is famous for its lush green pastures and free-range dairy cows, which produce premium milk. Small farms across the island produce a wide variety of artisan cheeses, from velvety Brie, rich aged Cheddar to pungent, musty Blue Cheese with character.

A summer Irish cheese platter is often served with warm toasted soda bread, ripe grapes, nutty walnuts and homemade berry jam. As the afternoon sun sets over the fields, people sit outside on the wooden patio, sharing melted cheese on bread, sipping cold apple cider. It is the art of living slowly, enjoying the pure taste and warm connection of friendship and family.

Irish summer cuisine is rustic but not poor, refined but not fussy, always maintaining the authenticity and hospitality of the people here. Each dish is a piece of nature – blue sea, cold rivers, green pastures and brilliant orchards. But above all, they are a testament to the Irish love and respect for the land and tradition.

Source : https://www.vietravel.com/vn/am-thuc-kham-pha/mon-an-mua-he-o-ireland-v17497.aspx