It doesn't have to be St. Patrick's Day [1] to enjoy delicious Irish food. We say you should have Irish soda bread any time you want (because it's really that delicious)! Or maybe you're in the mood for some black pudding? If you're ready to chow down but don't quite know what some of the most popular Irish dishes are — except an Irish coffee — let us help you navigate the menu. Some traditional Irish fare should be familiar, but we'll break down what you'll find in coddle, white pudding, and more of Ireland's famous dishes. With all this extra knowledge, you can throw a party this March 17 that's fit for St. Patrick himself.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's pie is a dish that originated in Ireland and the UK but has made its way worldwide now. Traditional shepherd's pie is made with ground lamb and vegetables and covered with mashed potatoes before being baked in a casserole dish.

Soda Bread

Soda bread gets its name from the leavening agent used instead of yeast: bicarbonate of soda. It's a dense bread, usually made with dried fruits in it, that relies on buttermilk as a key ingredient.

Coddle

Coddle is the result of throwing whatever leftover meat, vegetables, and potatoes you have together into a pot to make a stew. It's most commonly made with sausage, chunky potatoes, and onions.

Irish Stew

Irish stew is very similar to coddle, except it's usually made with lamb. The lamb is combined with potatoes, onions, and other root vegetables to form a hearty stew.

Colcannon

Colcannon is a common side dish that's especially popular around St. Patrick's Day. It's a mixture of potatoes and either cabbage or kale.

Barmbrack

Barmbrack is somewhat similar to soda bread in that it's a dense bread made with dried fruits. However, what makes it different is that it's served on holidays with something hidden in the dough for those eating it to find. The person who finds it should have the luck of the Irish in the future.

Boxty

Boxty is a very simple potato dish that's quick to whip up. It's mostly grated potatoes and mashed potatoes formed into patties and cooked on a griddle, similar to a potato pancake.

Bangers and Mash

Bangers and mash is quite simply sausage and mashed potatoes. The bangers can be any sort of meat, and oftentimes, the dish is served with gravy.

Black Pudding

Black pudding is blood sausage made with pork blood, pork, spices, and usually oats to act as a binding ingredient.

White Pudding

White pudding is just like black pudding but made without the blood.

Brown Bread

Brown bread gets its taste and colour from the wheat flour. It's a bread similar to soda bread in that it doesn't use yeast and is a bit dense.