The traditional Irish stew has been named as a must-have meal of the world by travel bible Lonely Planet.
The classic Irish meal appeared in the travel guide’s list of the top 50 food experiences for tourists across the world.
They called it the ‘Ultimate Eatlist’ and each of the 500 entries comes with a description of the culture that the food comes from.
The Ultimate Eatlist was compiled after writers, bloggers and staffers nominated meals from around the world and whittled their list down to 500.
The judging panel included TV chef Adam Liaw and food blogger Leyla Kazim, who ranked the meals on taste, cultural importance and ‘the special atmosphere of the location’ of each meal.
Lonely Planet said the following about Irish stew: “The definition of warming, hearty and filling. […] You can season the stew with salt but the flavour is best enhanced by eating it in one of those pubs, with one of those pints of Guinness, and friends.
“Many cultures locate the romance of food in hours of preparation and myriad ingredients; for the Irish, the romance is in the eating and whatever happens around it.”
They suggested Ireland’s oldest pub – the Brazen Head in Merchant’s Quay, Dublin – as the perfect place to enjoy an Irish stew – along with an ‘inky black Guinness’.
Families have been eating Irish stew for hundreds of years and each household has their own special recipe – as the Lonely Planet says, it is made with whatever happens to be in the kitchen.
Here are the Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Food Experiences
1. Pintxos in San Sebastián, Spain
2. Curry laksa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3. Sushi in Tokyo, Japan
4. Beef brisket in Texas, USA
5. Som tum in Bangkok, Thailand
6. Smørrebrød in Copenhagen, Denmark
7. Crayfish in Kaikoura, New Zealand
8. Bibimbap in Seoul, South Korea
9. Pizza margherita in Naples, Italy
10. Dim sum in Hong Kong
Irish stew was ranked at number 47 and wasn’t the only Irish dish to make the top 500 – black pudding was listed at number 458 and barmbrack made it into number 496.
Click here for an Irish stew recipe
Click here for a barmbrack recipe
More great Irish recipes
