Ireland
I work as a freelance food, drinks and travel writer and food consultant based in Dublin but forever wandering in Ireland (and further afield when possible). Local food is my main focus and telling the stories that go with it. I'm a member of The Irish Food Writers Guild.
Step into the Fumbally in Dublin 8 these days, and as well as the bustling cafe, you'll find fridges full of Irish cheese and organic meats, shelves lined with restaurant quality dried goods, boxes of farm-fresh Dublin-grown fruit and vegetables, sourdough bread and cakes baked on site, a range of seasonal fermented foods and drinks, and a stellar selection of natural wines.
The past decade has been a bumper one for putting Galway on the culinary map, and there are three names you'll hear credited again and again - sometimes even referred to as the Galway Food Mafia: JP McMahon, Jess Murphy and Enda McEvoy. Interestingly, none of them is originally from Galway.
The sun-drenched Balearic Islands have long been a holiday favourite, but these days they are also making their mark as a food destination. Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera are all part of a gorgeous archipelago with a glut of gastronomic delights to explore, thanks to the favourable Mediterranean climate, a rich agricultural and maritime heritage and the many cultures that have passed through over the years.
London is considered to be one of the culinary capitals of the world. And do you know what's hot there right now? Us. There is an undeniable Irish influence in the food industry in London.
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We're often told we can travel through food, but how easy is it really to get authentic tastes in Ireland? Chefs and food enthusiasts living in Ireland, who hail from more far-flung places, share their impressions on how authentically their home food is represented here, and suggest ways to replicate the tastes and flavours they miss the most.
Why isn't there more of a fuss made about the Irish sausage? It's always been the food I miss the most when I'm abroad. During my first J1 summer in Cape Cod, I saved up my tips to spend on a slap-up breakfast at The Keltic Kitchen, the local Irish joint, always ordering an extra portion of sausages.
Although Dingle is famous around the world for its sweeping coastlines, rugged beauty and rich archaeological history, that's not what first drew my parents here in 1990. It was simply finding an affordable seaside house to rent that could fit four children.
The Irish pub is one of the most iconic aspects of our culture. Places of celebration, commiseration, company and community, they have a long, rich history interwoven into the fabric of our cities, towns and villages. They are a sellable ideal with attempted replications scattered all over the globe.
Like most kids of the 1980s, I had an obsession for all things American. Pop-Tarts, OshKosh, Sweet Valley High, MTV... I was fascinated by it all. When I eventually started travelling in the US (kicking off with a J-1 summer visa as a student), I had a curious over-familiarity with so much of what I came across, and still do.