The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Manx Foods. If you manage to be in an Manx restaurant or you are visiting Isles of Man, I recommend the following:
1. Seafood Stew
This seafood stew is mostly served with a hearty salad and plenty of fresh bread. Onions, garlic and carrots provide the traditional aromatic base, while red and yellow peppers add colour and sweetness. The soup is flavoured with clam juice, white wine and coconut milk, and the liquid released by the clams and mussels when they are opened gives the coconut soup an even more oceanic flavour.
2. Chips With Cheese
Chips, cheese and gravy is the national dish of the Isle of Man. It consists of potatoes, grated Manx cheddar cheese and gravy. This local dish is available at many takeaways across the island. To make this dish, the chips are first fried and coated with grated cheddar cheese, then added to a gravy that melts the cheese. Every year, on the last Monday in January, fries, cheese and gravy have their own day called National Fries, Cheese and Gravy Day.
3. Boiled Potatoes and Herring
It is the national dish of the Isle of Man and, although it is probably the most famous of all Isle of Man dishes, it is also one of the easiest to prepare. It is made with herring, potatoes and raw onions. The potatoes are boiled with salted herring soaked in water overnight. When both are ready, drain the potatoes and herring and serve with sliced raw onions and a generous amount of butter.
4. Fatherless Pie
The cakes are made of puff pastry, milk, water, butter, potatoes and spices. Cut the potatoes into cubes and serve on puff pastry with butter, salt and pepper. Once combined, pour milk and water over the filling, then cover the whole filling with pie crust and bake. This simple pie is traditionally served with boiled fish on Good Friday.
5. Kippers
This is a traditional English breakfast dish consisting of a whole herring cut in half, cleaned, seasoned with salt and cold smoked over chips. The lengthy process results in extremely tasty and nutritious food. For breakfast, herring is traditionally served with buttered toast, but the fish can also be added to sauces, gravies and fried eggs.
6. Bonnang
Bonnag is a traditional bread from the Isle of Man. It is available plain or sweet, with sultanas, dried fruits such as candied lemon peel and currants, and a mixture of spices. The basic plain variety is a mixture of flour, breadcrumbs, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar. Dissolve the soda in the yoghurt and mix with other ingredients. Bake the dough in the oven at moderate temperature until golden brown. Nuts, margarine, vanilla extract and buttermilk are also added to the fruit version.
7. Meat of Lamb
This unique meat must come from pure-bred Manx Loaghtan lamb, born and bred on the Isle of Man. It has a strong game-like flavour, dark meat, fine grain, less fat and cholesterol than beef.
8. Queen Scallops
These are medium-sized queen scallops sustainably caught in the Isle of Man. Their shells can be yellow, orange, brown, red or purple, and the opaque/creamy flesh inside the shell consists of a small cylindrical muscle that forms the roe. The roe can be kept or removed according to personal preference. Mild and sweet tasting, scallops are versatile in the culinary sense. Use them in salads, baked or canned.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.