Ireland's Green Larder - by Margaret Hickey (Paperback)

About the Book

'The only book on the social history of Ireland that you'll ever need' Richard Corrigan

Book Synopsis

Ireland's Green Larder tells the story of food and drink in Ireland, for the first time. From the ancient system of the Céide Fields, established a thousand years before the Pyramids were built, right up to today's thriving food scene. Rather than focusing on battles and rulers, Margaret Hickey digs down to what has formed the day-to-day life of the people. It's a glorious ramble through the centuries, drawing on diaries, letters, legal texts, ballads, government records, folklore and more. The story of how Queen Maeve died after being hit by a piece of hard cheese sits alongside a contemporary interview with one of Ireland's magnificent cheese makers, and the tale of the author's day in Clew Bay on the wild Atlantic coast, collecting the world's freshest oysters, is countered by Jonathan Swift's complaint about dubiously fresh salmon being sold on the streets of Dublin. Beautifully illustrated and dotted with recipes, there are chapters covering everything from strong tea to the Irish rituals and superstitions associated with food and drink. With a light touch and a flair for finding the most telling details, Hickey draws on years of research to bring this sweeping history brilliantly to life.

Review Quotes

This is the first-ever definitive history of Irish food and drink, rich in cultural detail, from ancient folklore to the contemporary food scene. A former Food and Drink Editor at Country Living, Margaret is very well connected in the Irish food scene. She will be available for events around publication. For fans of Bee Wilson (Consider the Fork, The Hive), Darina Allen (30 Years of Ballymaloe), Oliver Rowe (Food for All Seasons).

About the Author

Margaret Hickey is the former Food and Drink Editor at Country Living magazine. She has written for the Financial Times, the Guardian and The Times. She is co-director of Shorelines Arts Festival in Portumna and is a regular judge at the Strokestown International Poetry Festival.