When living outside of Ireland, there are a number of things that can make you homesick, reminding you of the quiet, simple joys of the Emerald Isle.
It’s wild what can remind you of home when you’re leaving abroad. Smells, taste, sounds – whatever it may be, our senses have the ability to make us yearn for home without us even knowing we’re missing it.
Music is a huge one for nostalgia. A song could come on the radio and will instantly transport you back to a memory of a time or place where you heard it, good or bad.
The smell of rain, the smell of food cooking in the kitchen – your nose remembers a lot, and particular smells can also make you think fondly of people or places.
However, we think that food above all else can knock you nostalgic faster than any other. One strange meal in particular can have any Irish person living abroad yearn for a taste of home.
An unbeatable Irish snack – or is it a meal?
Call it a meal, call it a snack, call it whatever you want, but the weirdest things Irish people abroad get homesick for is the humble crisp sandwich.
Of course you can replicate the crisp sandwich anywhere in the world. All you need is some bread, some butter, and some crisps, right?
WRONG! Tayto cheese and onion crisps, Kerrygold butter or Golden Cow, and two thick slices of Brennan’s bread are in order to make the supreme crisp sandwich. We don’t want to hear anything about Walkers or Lays crisps.
The top tier crisp sandwich is make up of Irish ingredients for that hearty, nostalgic, delicious snack that you could eat again and again.
The perfect crisp sandwich – three key ingredients
The perfect crisp sandwich consists of three key ingredients: White bread, Tayto crisps, and proper Irish butter.
The flavour of Tayto crisps you use is entirely up to the individual. Some people might even like to put wuster sauce Tayto in their crisp sandwich, and we’re not saying that’s serial killer behaviour, we’re saying each to their own.
However, we reckon most people stick to a classic, like Tayto cheese and onion as the star of their crisp sandwich show.
As for the bread, even if you don’t usually eat white bread, it’s undeniably the best bread for a proper tasty crisp sandwich. Some people like to add a little razzle dazzle to their crisp sandwiches, adding grated cheese, ham, or some mayonnaise.
If you prefer a bougie crisp sandwich, the world is your oyster with additions, but the three simple, key components are what make this snack outstanding as an ensemble without any flourish.
Can it be replicated abroad? – or do you need to wait for a care package
Lucky for some, the perfect crisp sandwich might be able to be replicated abroad. The Irish diaspora have made themselves at home all over the world.
In the likes of Australia, there are shops specifically dedicated to imported Irish goods, like Tayto, Barry’s Tea, MiWadi, and even proper Irish pork sausages. The same can be said for certain locations in the UK and the US.
So don’t worry. Depending on where you are, you shouldn’t have to wait for mammy’s next care package or your next visit home to get your crisp sandwich fix, although proper fresh Irish butter could be an issue, couldn’t it?
