Enlightening, entertaining and often surprising, Irish Food History: A Companion takes you on an unforgettable and expert journey through Ireland’s culinary past. Beginning at the end of the Ice age, before reindeer, brown bears, and the giant Irish deer became extinct; this vital and brilliantly researched collection brings us forward from the introduction of farming and livestock, to the delicious world of medieval honey, banqueting, bog butter, whiskey distilling, to eighteenth century feasts, famines, and on to the modernisation, industrialisation, and eventual globalisation of food. Through analysis, storytelling, and mouth-watering descriptions, every dish and moment in time reveals ancient techniques, hidden gems, and innovative cooking seemingly far beyond its time, all of which have shaped Ireland’s culinary landscape for centuries.

Irish Food History: A Companion brings the reader on a gastronomic odyssey from earliest times and the start of the hunter-gatherer community, all the way to the abundant world of modern Irish cooking, safe in the hands of the world’s most highly regarded food historians. With an engaging introduction from the editors Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire and Dorothy Cashman, and a foreword from Professor James Kelly, the thirty-two different contributors, all experts in their own particular field or period of study, provide the latest thinking and research from a wide range of academic disciplines. This book offers you the chance to explore the rich tapestry of Ireland’s history with food in these twenty-eight urgent and compelling chapters.

Whether you are a seasoned ‘foodie’ or a novice in the kitchen, a keen historian or merely curious about life, Irish Food History offers a glimpse at horizons old and new, unfurling a complex culinary history and revealing nuances of our cultural heritage. Comprehensively chronicling the island’s deep connection to food and drink and bringing us right up to the present moment, we are presented with a portrait of a country and a place forever connected to its culinary traditions while also showing us a new and exciting snapshot of a vibrant, modern daring and connected nation of eaters and drinkers. Beautifully designed, this volume is richly illustrated and interspersed with folklore, songs, recipes, and food-related poetry from Seamus Heaney, Paula Meehan and Raiftearai, making it a must-read for the culinary and culturally curious both young and old.

Contributors: Toby Barnard, Dorothy Cashman, Seamus Caulfield, Danielle Clarke, Catriona Clear, Margaret Connolly, Jonny Dillon, Clodagh Doyle, Patrick Doyle, Bryce Evans, Nikolah Gilligan, Claudia Kinmonth, Shane Lehane, Patricia Lysaght, Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire, Donall O Braonain, Elaine Mahon, J.P. Mallory, John McCafferty, Tara McConnell, Finbar McCormick, Ian Miller, John D Mulcahy, Brian J Murphy, Grace Neville, Fionnan O’Connor, William Sayers, Maeve Sikora, Isabella Mulhall, Katharine Simms, Ailbe van der Heide.