If it wasn’t for my husband — an import straight from the Emerald Isle — I would have never known about the delicious, interesting, and sometimes head-scratching foods Ireland has to offer. In America, I grew up eating cake with ice cream, while my Irish husband was used to ice cream with Jello. Sometimes we can’t comprehend the culinary offerings of the other’s culture, but we be good sports about giving everything a try. Here are a few Irish snacks we highly recommended — plus, our favorite Irish stores to shop for them in the Boston area!
Club Orange
The American orange soda was never it for me. I’ve always found it way too sweet. Club Orange, on the other hand, is more like orange juice mixed with club soda — it’s light and refreshing without being too overbearing, and it still has the carbonation. The Club company also makes Club Lemon, Club Rock Shandy (combination Orange and Lemon) and Club Apple.
Tayto Crisps
There are a few Irish potato chip brands out there, but Tayto is supreme. They offer a good crunch with less grease. The variety of flavors runs the spectrum, with standard options like sour cream and onion or salt and vinegar plus out-of-the-box choices like prawn cocktail, “wuster” sauce, and smokey bacon.
Pot Noodles
Technically, this is a United Kingdom import, but it can be found in Irish import stores. This British and Irish staple is a great switch up from American instant noodle varieties and perfect for a quick lunch if you are in a rush or have a packed day. Our favorite flavors are curry, sweet and sour, and doner kebab.
Candy bars
Irish chocolate is heavily skewed to the milk chocolate variety, and there are so many choices in quality sweets. Butlers is Ireland’s premier family-owned chocolate company, and their exquisite chocolate bar flavors include milk chocolate honeycomb crisp, Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish gin truffle, and orange and almond. Cadbury is another UK favorite, with much-loved candy bars like Crunchie, Dairy Milk, and Wispa.
Wine gums
Perfect for any gummy candy connoisseur, the candies are shaped in different assortments and are usually labeled with the name of a wine such as port, sherry, or champagne. Contrary to the name, they contain no alcohol. There are a few different makers of the confection including familiar brands like Haribo.
Boston Irish import shops
Now the question is, where to get your hands on Club Orange, Tayto crisps, Pot Noodles, and Irish candy bars?! Here’s a list of Boston-area stores that import all the Irish and UK goods!
