Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish Butter and Cheeses

What’s true Irish fare? Americans may think of potatoes or corned beef, but the answer may surprise you: it’s Irish butter and cheeses.

Evanston, Ill., — While potatoes were introduced to Ireland in the late 16th century, cattle have been in the Emerald Isle since 3,500 BC. And corned beef and cabbage, so beloved in the U.S. for St. Patrick’s Day, is believed to be an American invention.

Dairying enjoys a proud history in Ireland, where there is no industrial farming. Cows still roam free on small family farms and graze in lush Irish pastures. From this extraordinary grass-fed diet comes milk so rich in beta-carotene, it turns butter and cheeses a natural gold.

Small family farms are sustained through cooperatives made up of a vast number of small local farmers. Creameries collect the milk to turn into butter and cheeses renowned the world over, sold under the Kerrygold brand.

In the U.S., Kerrygold butter and cheeses are widely available in supermarkets and specialty stores. To get you ready for St. Patrick’s Day, try any of the following:

• Serve a cheese board of Irish cheeses, such as Dubliner, with elements of a fine Cheddar, nuttiness of a Swiss and the piquant bite of aged Parmesan; Skellig, a rich and tangy cheese with a hint of butterscotch sweetness; or Cashel Blue, a semi-soft, creamy Irish farmhouse cheese. Accompany Irish style, with chutney, toasted nuts and fruit.
• Make quick and easy Irish soda bread and slather it with silky Kerrygold Irish Butter. To learn how, check out a short video from Ireland’s most famous chef and cooking teacher, Darina Allen.
• Enda’s Ploughman’s Sandwich is inspired by the classic Irish ploughman’s lunch, a meat-and-cheese salad. In this version, the ingredients are piled onto rustic bread.
• Deirdre’s Colcannon, the classic mashed potatoes and cabbage dish, is dressed up with shredded Dubliner cheese and a pool of melted Kerrygold Irish Butter.
• Mrs. O’Sullivan’s Market Plate features an assortment of cold meats, smoked fish and Irish cheeses served with mustard, chutney and hearty brown bread.
• Peter Foyne’s Buttery Irish Potato and Apple Bake is made by sautéing potatoes and apples in Kerrygold Butter and baking with bacon.
• Clodagh’s Potato Cakes, a recipe from the popular Irish TV cooking star Clodagh McKenna, is made by frying mashed potato cakes in Kerrygold Irish Butter until golden brown. Learn how from this short video.