For the love of Irish Breakfast

There are countless reasons to visit Ireland and an Irish breakfast is one of them.  Having just returned, I can say with full confidence that no travel to Ireland is complete without eating an Irish breakfast at least once. The Irish Fry-Up, a medley of delightful fried Irish food, is a veritable breakfast of champions. Considering I have adapted to breakfast, Italian style–meaning coffee or cappuccino and a sweet is usually enough to hold me over until my carb-heavy lunch–, I have learned the not-so-hard way that I always have room for an Irish breakfast! You’re likely to find the following on your plate, give or take depending on season, availability and preference:

• An egg
• Boxty: Traditional Irish potato pancake that makes my heart sing.
• White Pudding: Sausage made from oatmeal, pork meat and fat, suet and bread.
• Blood pudding: All of the above plus pig’s blood.
• Irish Bacon: To the Irish, this is just bacon. Unlike American bacon which is usually taken from the belly, Irish bacon is back meat and contains a layer of fat.
• Irish Breakfast Sausage
• Mushrooms
• A tomato or two
• Baked beans

Because I have an aversion to cold eggs, I always start with it. When possible, since I’m a carboholic at heart, I like to double up on the boxty. The breakfast wouldn’t be complete without some toast topped with that golden Irish butter and jam. (I’m not normally a butter person, unless I’m in Ireland.)