A 'Spice Bag' Is More Specific Than What You're Imagining
Never thought a fast food item would be the thing to make me want to go to Ireland. Please enjoy the story by Louise Slyth! —Katherine
by Louise Slyth
When asked to guess Ireland’s favorite takeaway (takeout) option, I’m guessing not many people would picture a spice bag. But this Asian-inspired dish is now an Irish institution of some renown.
Devilishly moreish, a spice bag consists of deep fried salt and chili chips (fries), salt and chili chicken, red and green peppers, chili, onion, and spices, served up in (you guessed it) a paper bag. The spice blends vary between establishments and are always a closely guarded secret.
According to the national public broadcaster RTÉ, the spice bag was created by The Sunflower Chinese takeaway in Dublin back in 2010. The team at the Sunflower were experimenting with dishes to serve staff at the end of a shift. When they came up with the spice bag, it gained universal approval. After a few friends tried the spice bag and loved it, it made its way onto the regular menu. Word and demand snowballed from there, with Chinese takeaways all over the country creating their own versions.
Thirteen years later, the spice bag has won a national takeaway award for “Ireland’s favorite dish” and become so beloved that it even has its own Appreciation Society on Facebook. It has also been welcomed into an archive of Irish food traditions collated by the National Folklore Collection at University College Dublin.
Perhaps the appeal of the spice bag lies in its ability to combine two of Ireland’s favorite things: chips and Asian flavors. Not to mention the fact that any spice bag worth its salt (excuse the pun!) will act as a takeaway treat after a night out at the local pub, or as a hangover cure. With all that salty spicy goodness, it’s easy to understand why.
The bags apparently haven’t left Ireland, so you’ll need to travel here to try one.
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