Spice Bag

The spice bag is the rare case of a national dish with a traceable and recent origin. It emerged from Irish-Chinese takeaways around 2010 or so, with the Sunflower in Templeogue in Dublin among the places most often credited, and spread nationwide within a few years - by 2017 it was being named in polls as a favourite Irish takeaway, ahead of much older options. The construction is chips and salt-and-chilli shredded chicken, wok-tossed with sliced peppers, onions and chillies and a five-spice-based seasoning, served in a paper bag with curry sauce on the side. It exists nowhere else: it is not a Chinese dish, it is an Irish one made in Chinese takeaways, in the same way that the chicken tikka masala is a British invention. Recipes vary from shop to shop and the seasoning mix is usually the proprietor's own, which is why people are loyal to particular takeaways.

What you actually see

• The construction - chips, salt-and-chilli chicken, peppers and onions in a bag.
• The seasoning - a five-spice-based mix, different in every takeaway.
• The origin - Dublin Chinese takeaways around 2010, not a Chinese dish.
• The curry sauce - served on the side as standard.

When to go

Any time a takeaway is open, which in most towns is late. It is late-night food by function.

Honest expectations

Quality varies completely between takeaways - the seasoning is house-specific and some are far better than others. It is heavily salted, oily and large. It exists only in Ireland, so ordering it abroad will not work.

Nearby

Chinese takeaways nationwide; Dublin has the highest concentration of the originals.