My sister, Regan, and I love toast in Ireland. In bed&breakfasts, hotels, and at Helen’s house, great quantities of lightly toasted white bread is served in stacks, baskets, and toast racks. But what’s so special about Irish toast? It’s all about the bread. Basic Irish white bread is a cross between old-fashioned bakery bread and Wonder Bread in the United States. Denser than Wonder, but super soft and downy white.

In Ireland, toast is usually served dry and not hot. It is up to the individual to dress it or leave it plain. I typically reach for the orange marmalade, while Regan prefers preserves.

This photo of The Harbour Inn B&B and Grill is courtesy of TripAdvisor

When left to our own devices at a self-catering, Regan and I tend to make our toast American-style, or at least how we learned to eat toast: two slices, toasted until golden, buttered while hot, and stacked on a small plate…just like in the picture from our visit in 2011.

Love Irish toast!