I know it’s cliche. But people in Ireland eat a lot of potatoes.
Chips (fries) are particularly popular and you will see them on pretty much every menu, be it traditional, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Thai…you get the idea. Shane has seen people at work order a slice of pizza with chips. Or a plate with some main dish like pasta, and roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes and chips all on the same plate. I’m not fooling.
I like potatoes, too. It’s not just from being in Ireland. They’re easy to prepare, really cheap, and can be delicious. When I was a kid, my mom made baked potatoes for supper sometimes, and we always topped them with butter, sour cream, cheese, and broccoli. In Ireland, and in the UK, it’s very common to have a “jacket potato” filled with baked beans. Or coleslaw. Or pizza toppings. I bet you could even get a jacket potato filled with chips! But you probably wouldn’t want to. Probably.
Besides my undying love of french fries, I love hash browns, roasted potatoes, latkes, mashed potatoes, and tater tots. Even though tater tots do not exist in Ireland, I still feel solidarity with Ireland in my appreciation of the potato. Actually, except for a guy I knew in college who had a traumatic potato experience, I’ve never known anyone who didn’t like them.
Go eat a potato. You’ll be glad you did.