Corned beef adds an interesting flavor to any Irish food dish, be it cabbage, stew, or soup. The "corns" are the coarse grains used to cure the beef. You should purchase it packaged in brine; if tightly wrapped, it can be stored for up to a week in your refrigerator.

For an unfamiliar but tasty Irish food dish, try boxty, which is made from criss-crossed layers of thin strips of grated potato. Although some authorities describe it as a kind of potato pancake, it isn't really a pancake it all; to American eyes, it more resembles loose hash browns.

For authentic Irish food, you'll need a list of herbs and spices that, while sometimes not often used in American cooking, can be found in almost any market. They include: allspice, watercress, mace, chives, chervil, nutmeg, parsley, and thyme.