• Soda bread usually accompanies every meal, with butter spread on top.bread image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
  
  Irish cuisine is generally associated with the humble potato. Even though it is a staple of the nation's diet, food in Ireland is hearty and varied. Lunch is a fairly simple affair, with leftover stews at the forefront of most meals. No matter how plain some consider the food, the hospitality that accompanies the meal is generous. The Irish adore inviting people into their homes and feeding them at any meal time.
  
  

Irish Stew

• Irish stew is recognized as the national dish. Comprised of root vegetables, bacon and mutton, the stew was created from the cheapest of ingredients and is recognized historically as peasant fare even though it is the national dish. Together with a strong stout, Irish stew is a hearty meal commonly served at lunch.
  
  

Soda Bread

• Soda bread is considered a "quick bread" as it does not need the time to rise that most yeast-based breads need. Made with baking soda as the raising agent, it is a soft, hearty bread with a thick crust. Served with almost every meal in Ireland, soda bread is a staple of the lunch table. Tea, stew and a slice of soda bread make a common noon hour meal.
  
  

Corned Bacon with Cabbage

• Corned beef only became representative Irish cuisine around the turn of the 20th century. Until that time, it was the food of the wealthy only, for both salt and good cuts of beef were expensive. The Irish used pork instead. They generally serve slices of corned pork with steamed potatos and cabbage and no gravy or sauce. This simple meal is also a popular lunch dish in Ireland.
  
  

Champ

• Champ is a side dish generally served alongside mutton or pork. A simple accompaniment, Champ is comprised of potatoes and scallions simmered with whole milk and butter. Champ is similar to the North American "mashed potatoes" except for the spring onions that infuse the milk and potatoes with flavor.
  
  

Coddle

• Coddle is similar to champ because it is predominantly made of potatoes. However, the other ingredients of coddle differ from that of its side dish counterpart. The cook simmers bacon and pork sausage with onions and potatoes to create a hearty stew-like dish more commonly eaten in the winter months.