Irish Seafood Chowder

Chowder arrived in Ireland by the transatlantic route rather than from any deep native tradition - the word itself probably comes from the French chaudiere, a cooking pot - and it settled here as the default coastal pub lunch. The Irish version is a creamy base with potato and onion, smoked haddock or cod, salmon, and shellfish, usually mussels and often prawns, served with a slab of brown soda bread and butter. What makes a good one is the fish being fresh and added late rather than boiled to threads, and the smoked element carrying the flavour without dominating. It is taken seriously enough that there is a national All-Ireland Chowder Cook-Off, held annually in Kinsale since the 1990s, whose winner goes on to an international competition in Rhode Island. Quality varies hugely: the same menu description covers a soup made that morning from the boat and a reheated catering product.

What you actually see

• The creamy base - potato, onion, smoked and fresh fish, and shellfish.
• The brown bread - soda bread and butter, served with it as standard.
• The Kinsale competition - the national cook-off, running since the 1990s.
• The variation - the same dish name covering very different things.

When to go

Any time of year - it is a standard pub lunch nationwide. The Kinsale cook-off is in spring. Coastal towns with working fishing fleets are the reliable places.

Honest expectations

Quality varies enormously and the menu gives no clue - reheated catering versions are common in tourist areas. Portions are large. Shellfish allergies are a real concern given how mixed it is.

Nearby

Kinsale, Dingle, Doolin, Howth and Killybegs are all reliable for it.