Episode 33: JP McMahon: Famine, Food Memory, and the Making of New Irish Cuisine
(C) Andrew Downes
Chef JP McMahon of the Michelin-starred Aniar in Galway and founder of the internationally acclaimed Food on the Edge symposium is widely recognized as one of the leading voices behind the understanding and evolution of New Irish Cuisine.
In this episode we explore the complex relationship between food, colonization, identity, and cultural memory through the lens of Irish history. As a chef, author, scholar, and advocate for Irish food culture, JP offers a unique perspective on how centuries of British rule shaped Ireland's agricultural systems, food traditions, and national identity.
Together, we trace the journey of the potato from South America to Ireland and examine how a crop that was never native to the island became synonymous with Irish cuisine. We discuss the social and political conditions that led to widespread dependence on the potato, the devastating impact of An Gorta Mór, the Great Famine, and the lasting influence this tragedy continues to have on Irish culture and collective memory.
The conversation also challenges common assumptions about Irish food. Long before the arrival of the potato, Ireland's people relied on a rich diversity of ingredients drawn from the sea, forests, bogs, rivers, and fields. JP shares insights from his extensive research into Ireland's culinary past and explains how modern chefs are rediscovering forgotten ingredients and traditions to create a contemporary Irish cuisine rooted in place and history.
From land ownership and food insecurity to seaweed, wild herbs, and the future of gastronomy, this episode examines how food systems can be shaped by power, disrupted by crisis, and ultimately reclaimed through knowledge, culture, and creativity.
Join us for a fascinating conversation about resilience, identity, and the enduring story of Irish food.
“Think you're escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.”
― James Joyce, Ulysses
To cook a traditional Irish potato recipe try this recipes of Potato Farls from Chef McMahon’s The Irish Cook Book available from Phiadon.
To find out more about Food on the Edge which explores culinary culture or attend please visit his site.
To learn more about the history Irish Food and the impact of colonisation on the Irish people have a look at these links: