User:VikingMcBride/sandbox

Celtic Cuisine is the overall look at the cuisine and the connections within special dishes and list of spices, herbs, vegetables and fruits of the last 8 remaining Celtic Nations; Scotland, Ireland, Wales, The isle of Man, Cornwall, Britany France, Galician & Asturia Spain.

It traces the flavor patterns, similar herbs and spices through historical use as well as the economic trade routes of agricultural products within these areas expanding over several millennia. Combined with a wide variety of similar made dishes, under various names, with slight variations due to geographical locations.

Celtic Cuisine is divided between the various seafood and wildlife found along the Northwestern edges of Europe. They also consist of root type vegetables which can be farmed in the very rugged terrain of the 8 nations that need little sunlight, but store large quantities of energy in complex carbohydrates and starches. Complications that have hindered the classification of Celtic Cuisine are due to the geographical location between the 8 Celtic Nations (regions), they are further divided between 7 languages, and 5 Political Nations, yet still maintain a cultural connection that has lasted through trade despite the change of the political landscape over several millennium. Other established cuisines like Italian are separated between Roma, Tuscan, Napoli, as well as Mexican cuisine that are sometimes designated by states and cities like Baha, Chihuahua, Sonora, Veracruz, and many others including Guadalajara in the south. There are many similar dishes that can be found in all 8 Celtic Nations, though with different names. The most similar is referred to in Ireland as Colcannon, in Scotland as Kel Kenneys, on the island of Man as Rutabagas, and in Wales as Wyau Mon. In all 8 Celtic Nations, the pattern is the same, a potato, a onion type, and either cabbage or kale, with an occasional added ingredeint. In Ireland alone there are 4 distinct variations found roughly between the 4 original Kingdoms of Ireland (Connaught, Ulster, Leinster and Munster. The variations of the dish consist of Potatoes, Yellow Onions, Carrots and Cabbage in the West; Potatoes, Yellow onions and Kale in the North; Potatoes, Scallions, and cabbage in the South; and Potatoes, Cabbages, Yellow onions and several boiled eggs in the East.  These dishes are first boiled and then mashed together before being served.  Other similarities are found in Shepherd’s pie, Barm Brack or fruit cake, Beef & Ale stew, and Roast Lamb which is a major favorite and primary staple.   INGREDIENTS: There are 5 primary herbs and 7 primary spices used in Celtic Cuisine.  Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Parsley, and Tarragon, which have been used as a staple as far back as 5,500 years.  Horseradish and Mustard were the original spices used a millennium ago. In the past 6 centuries, Pepper, Mace, Cloves, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon were added after trade was opened to the far east. HONEY was the original flavor agent used as well to seal in the juices of meat while cooking or smoking them. Fruits & Vegetables used in Celtic Cuisine are mostly root type, since there is very little direct sunlight. The most common vegetable is Onions, which are found in various forms and found in nearly every dish. After onions, the trends favor, Cabbage, Leeks, Parsnips, Sorrel, Watercress, Rutabagas, and within the past 3 and half centuries, potatoes. Though Apples were the only fruit to be cultivated, there was extensive use of sloe, wild cherry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, rowan, whortleberries, crabapples and elderberries. Various fungi in the form of mushrooms are a large portion and favorite flavor of the cuisine. In Asturia Spain alone, there are over 2000 variations of Mushrooms. One of the renown farms of mushrooms can be found on the island of Man and are referred to as Mt. Greeba Mushrooms. Celtic Cuisine was first proposed by Chef Eric W. McBride a expert in 2010 with the publication of his first book, From the Kitchen of the Celtic Caterer- Book 1 Scotland. It has since then become a popular as a reference within the United States by people who share Celtic ancestry. HISTORY The History of Celtic Cuisine goes back not only to the begging of the Celtic Culture around 150 BCE, but is a continuation from the dietary practices of the stone age people who occupied the lands of the 8 Celtic Nations. These people sometimes called “Grooveware people”, occupied most of the Northwest parts of Europe and where responsible for the creation of Stonehenge, Newgrange, Knoweth and Doeth. Diets that consisted of fish, oysters, fowl were originally wrapped in mud to seal them, and cast into the fire, later honey was substituted. The also made use of fulachata fiadh, which are stone age kitchens or kettles within the stone near a stream or brook. The water was diverted into the basin and allowed to fill. Heated stones were then rolled from a nearby fire into the basin. This practice could result in the water being able to boil food for hours and hours. The oldest use of herbs was found near a fluachata fiadh on the Outer Hebrides islands of Northwestern Scotland. Here in an Archaeological dig, the remnants of a meal were found of a chicken covered in tarragon with some form of dairy from 3,500 BCE.

Celtic Cuisine also has had many other influences over the centuries including Nordic and French cuisine. During the Viking summer raids and colonization from 700 CE to 1100CE, the Norse both exchanged and extracted cooking practices. One of the most significant influence is the significant use of cheese especially blue vein cheeses. A history of the Nordic influence can be found still to this day upon the island of Man.

At the end of the French revolution, many Chef, bakers and other trained culinary professionals found that themselves without employment as they catered to the Aristocracy recently deposed in most cases. Having to seek employment outside of France, some went to Spain, and Ireland because they were Catholic nations, but a great many emigrated to Scotland because of the “Auld Alliance”. Here they re-introduced the consumption of Salmon which had become stigmatized over the preceding centuries. They also brought with them many cooking techniques that were being developed in France, like the use of frying foods in animal fat.

AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT During the early part of the 16th century the Spanish introduced to Europe potatoes brought back from the New World. They quickly became popular and a staple of diet in all 8 Celtic Nations. According to John Linnane BSc, MSc. lecturer of Food Production from the Dublin Institute of Technology, that by 1640, Potatoes had become a primary agricultural product providing protein and complex carbohydrates. And by 1780, the potato was so firmly adopted by Ireland that the average male consumed approximately 14lbs of Potatoes per day.VikingMcBride (talk) 02:38, 13 January 2017 (UTC)http://www.ravensgard.org/prdunham/irishfood.html

At the beginning of the 19th century, Beef was the number one agricultural export of the majority of the last Celtic regions. However, many of the wealth land owners of cattle lands did not reside near their farms but outside their country in London. Here the majority of the wealth from which the Cattle industry earned, remained. This practice were the seeds of resentment that began to fester between classes. In 1845, the Great famine (Ireland) or blight, that hit Ireland in 1840 would last for nearly 10 years. The population of Ireland prior to the famine was 8.1 million people, most consuming between 12-14 lbs. of potatoes per day.VikingMcBride (talk) 02:38, 13 January 2017 (UTC) In the first year 240,000 people died of starvation. From t has been estimated that over 1 million people died of starvation and more than 2 million people left Ireland to either emigrate to the Americas or else ware within the British Commonwealth.

Originally all across Europe, farming family’s trying to stretch their food supplies during the winter months would combine a recipe using a Lamb’s Offal, into a meat pie. This was especially so in many of the Northern Celtic Nations including Scotland. Around 1790 the National poet of Scotland, Robbie Burns, wrote a poem forever immortalizing the dish, the “Address to the Haggis” was very popular and to commemorate his passing and as a tribute to the poet the tradition of serving this ancient dish known as Haggis emerged.