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Eater
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Messy, Peppercorn-Packed Chinese Irish Spice Bags Take the World
is the associate editor for the Northern California and Pacific Northwest region writing about restaurant and bar trends, coffee and cafes, and pop-ups. On any given night, a tactile, no-frills plate of fried splendor lands on tables at Little Dumpling in Dublin's Temple Bar neighborhood, right around the time it lands on thousands of other tables throughout Ireland. It's a spice bag: a collection of spicy, starchy bits and bobs on top of chips (french fries). Something like disco fries, it's a staple of Chinese takeaways across Ireland, and the stuff of post-bar street food legend. Since the dish premiered at Templeogue's Sunflower Chinese restaurant around 2006, the spice bag has morphed and spread in Ireland, abroad, and all over social media. As chefs mix in their own variations, it's become an entire genre of food, its own galaxy in the universe of Irish culinary culture. Unless it arrives in a tremendous pizza box (in which case it might be called a 'spice box'), the dish's traditional packaging is a brown paper bag nearly translucent with grease. This quotidian container unleashes a messy, yet tantalizing combination of fried and spicy items. There's always chicken, usually in strips, whether they're coated, breaded, or fried. And there are always fries and onions. There might be other vegetables too, like spring onion, fresh chiles, or grated carrot. Then come all sorts of accouterments, from spring rolls to chicken balls. And there's curry sauce on the side, except if the takeaway is among the feverish camp that swears by satay sauce. Then there's the signature spice, which varies bag to bag. The Gaelic name for the finger-licking late-night hit, 'mála spíosraí' (roughly 'mala spice') hints at the dish's particular genre of numbing heat. Sichuan peppercorns are a throughline, as is nutty, earthy Chinese five spice, but chefs apply flavors in various forms. Chef Jules Mak goes for muddled and ground Sichuan peppercorn, salt, pepper, sugar, a bit of chile powder, and a tap of MSG. Once a year, his high-end Hong Kong-inspired Mak At D6 in Dublin sells a metric ton of spice bags for one month only. 'We blitz them out a bit more bougie,' he says. 'We do a hundred a night.' Per national outlet RTE, Hong Kong diasporic communities, known simply as 'Hongkongers,' represent much of Ireland's Chinese migrants. Their use of spice in items like spice bags looks a lot like the genre of salt and chile dishes that spans across South Asia, applied to everything from ribs to prawns. Mak, whose father hailed from Hong Kong and mother from the Emerald Isle, grew up seeing to-go orders for chips, curry, and rice at Furama, his dad's stalwart Chinese restaurant in Dublin that closed about a decade ago. It was called a 'three in one' then, and Furama wasn't the only place doing it. Following Sunflower's spice bag, Mak says, the three in one faded, as the three items fused into spice bags across the restaurant scene. 'It's a bit of a bastardized Chinese dish,' says Irish food critic Russell Alford, 'but it's ours.' As Sunday Times food critics, hosts of the Gastro Gays podcast, and authors of Hot Fat (a book all about fried foods), Alford and Patrick Hanlon have watched the spice bag spread over the years. They point to the early 2010s as the first time the dish jumped to the international stage. Australia and New Zealand were early adopters. 'It's kind of this icon of Irish cuisine, of Irish culture,' Hanlon says. 'It's changing the perception of Irish cuisine abroad.' The Chicken Salt Fries at Pecking House. Pecking House Spice bags are particularly tuned to spread on social media. The dish combines items — fries, fried chicken, spicy food — that are known winners online. The oil-slicked bag also unfolds to reveal its contents like a Christmas present, making for a great reveal in TikTok or Instagram videos. Versions made with an air fryer, which received international star treatment in 2017, spurred the dish further into the global consciousness. The dish also capitalizes on a rising tide of Irish cultural exports. Arguably Ireland's most famous culinary offering, Guinness, is also having a moment; 'splitting the G' (downing a Guinness until the foam lands in the middle of the letter G on the glass) has fueled a boom in the Dublin-made beer. Actors like Paul Mescal, Saoirse Ronan, and Cillian Murphy have cemented themselves in young American minds the way John Hurt and Richard Harris did for their Gen X parents, rap group Kneecap is taking the world by storm with frenzied gigs, and global focus on the ongoing siege of Gaza has brought Ireland's own history of colonial struggle into focus. A lot of these factors come together at Bar Snack in New York's East Village (recognized as the 85th best bar in North America), where Kneecap plays on the speakers all the time, a dedicated tap whips up foamy pints of Guinness, and the spice bags flow like stout through cobbled streets. When co-owners Iain Griffiths and Oliver Cleary were ideating the menu for the bar, which opened in November 2024 before the kitchen came online in April 2025, they saw the smash burger trend waning. Griffiths, who is Scottish, and Cleary, who is Irish, thought spice bags could be the next hit thing. Their rendition arrives in the characteristic paper bag: buttermilk-fried chicken tendies, peppers, onions, and fries with spices and a curry sauce. They also put the Spice Girls logo on T-shirts to hype the bag's debut. 'That felt like one of the most U.S. things we could do,' Griffiths says. But the spice bag was good enough to earn fans among their Irish clientele as well. '[They] would look up and give us the nod, like, this is good.' At New York's spicy fried chicken specialist Pecking House, chef-owner Eric Huang approached the dish from another side. He grew up in a Chinese restaurant, so the flavors of the spice bag were nothing new to him. After learning of the dish while cooking with chefs from the United Kingdom and clocking the version by New Zealand's Andy Hearnden, Huang rolled out his own iteration, titled Chicken Salt Fries, on Saint Patrick's Day 2025. The dish goes heavy on an in-house seasoning salt, along with cumin, coriander, Sichuan peppercorns, and a few more seasonings. It arrives with a curry sauce meant to evoke classic Japanese brand Golden Curry, providing a sweet, sentimental edge to the feisty medley. All around the globe, the cost of the dish has a lot to do with its cultural supremacy. Little Dumpling serves a generous spice bag for just 13 euros, Pecking House's goes for just $9, and Bar Snack serves the Georges St Special, a happy hour-ish combo of a spice bag and a Guinness pint for $22. As a U.S. recession looms and the EU fights to avoid sliding back into an economic downturn of its own, these familiar, affordable items — especially versions given a facelift to make them feel like a treat — draw diners out when James Beard starts to look like a bank robber. But chefs also recognize that upscaling the dish too much would rob it of its 1 a.m., effortless cool. Though some international spice bags have diverged significantly from the original dish, including 'healthy' recipes made with tofu or more vegetables, most iterations stick to the unkempt joy of a greasy, cheap mess of fried stuff. Despite the spice bag's online virality, Hanlon and Alford insist it shouldn't be a destination, phone-eats-first dish. Huang acknowledges that, for Pecking House at least, the spice bag's viral moment is already over. But he keeps serving it for the Irish expats and anyone who fell in love with the dish while visiting Ireland, the folks who tell Huang the dish takes them right back. 'They pour the sweet chile sauce over, the hot curry sauce, too,' Huang says, 'and it's this steaming, greasy bag they're eating. And when they put their hands in the bag, it's a really, really awesome eating experience.' A few more spice bags to try around the world: The Kitchen Bronx (New York City)
Irish Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Ellen Walshe eighth in 200m IM final at World Championships, Mona McSharry misses out on 100m breaststroke final
Ireland's Ellen Walshe has finished eighth in the women's 200m individual medley final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. The Templeogue swimmer touched the wall in 2:11.57, a second off her time from Sunday's semi-final when she set a new Irish record of 2:10.40. Racing in her first final at a long course (50m) World Championships, Walshe said: 'I think to be in my first world final tonight, it's a huge experience, out against some massive names in a 200 IM. 'A little bit disappointed, but sure roll on to the next one.' READ MORE Walshe will now switch her attention to the women's 200m butterfly, racing in the heats on Wednesday. 'I've never raced it internationally at this level, so I'm excited to kind of see where I can get, if it's a semi-final or I'm not even sure, but I'm looking forward to it,' the 23-year-old added. Olympic bronze medallist Mona McSharry was also in action on Monday. The Sligo swimmer was unable to progress to the women's 100m breaststroke final, clocking 1:06.33 to rank 11th overall, just outside the qualification. McSharry will return to the pool on Thursday for the women's 200m breaststroke. Evan Bailey, meanwhile, made his first appearance in a World Championships semi-final, finishing 16th in the men's 200m freestyle in 1:48.75. 'It was amazing to walk out there,' the 20-year-old said after the race. 'I mean, like the atmosphere and just everyone in the crowd, screaming – I walked out, it was surreal. It was a great to experience it and to get that experience on the world stage, and I'm really grateful to have been in that semi-final. 'My race plan didn't go to plan, I'm a bit disappointed with that. I'll have to go back and reassess with my coach on what went wrong there, but then there's always positives to come back on, to get an experience on that level. It'll just be good to build on in the future,' he added. In the 100m backstroke, two-time Olympian Danielle Hill clocked 1:00.79 in the women's event to finish 18th, while John Shortt touched the wall in 54.26 for 26th, both outside semi-final qualification. On Tuesday, Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen will look to retain his 800m freestyle World Championship title, which he claimed in Doha last year, five months before his triumph in the event at the Paris Olympics. Jack Cassin will also be in action for Ireland in the men's 200m butterfly.
RTÉ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Ellen Walshe secures 200m individual medley semi-final spot in Singapore
Ellen Walshe secured her place in the semi-final of 200m individual medley semi-final on the opening morning of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Entering the race ranked 18th, Walshe impressed with fourth place in her heat in 2:11.45, the fifth fastest time of her career. She progressed as the 10th fastest swimmer overall ahead of this afternoon's (1pm Irish time) semi-final at Singapore Sports Hub. The Templeogue swimmer has a best time and holds the Irish Record in 2:10.92 from the 2023 World Championships. Olympic gold medallist Daniel Wiffen clocked 3:47.57 to open his World Championships in the 400m freestyle. "I was pretty disappointed with the overall time; I didn't follow the race plan I was meant to go," he said afterwards. "It's a warm-up for my main events later in the week, I'm looking forward to the 800m in the next two days." Wiffen returns to the pool for that event on Tuesday morning, where he will be first looking to secure a top eight finish in the heats, to lock in a lane for Wednesday's final. Also competing in the 200m individual medley, Ellie McCartney made her World Championships debut in 2:13.86, the second fastest time of her career. The National Centre Limerick swimmer will be back in action on Thursday in the 200m breaststroke. Eoin Corby swam a seasons' best in the 100m breaststroke heats, touching in 1:00.63. Corby will return for the 200m breaststroke, his main event, on Thursday. Shane Ryan opened his Championships clocking 23.46 in a speedy 50m butterfly preliminary. Ryan returns to the pool on Friday for the 50m freestyle.
The Irish Sun
29-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Irish swimmer Ellie McCartney takes ‘one step forward' with Euro U23 silver medal but admits ‘bittersweet it's not gold'
WITH gold and bronze already in her bag, Ellie McCartney added silver in last night's 200m breaststroke final at the European Under-23 Championships in Slovakia. McCartney clocked the fastest heat time of 2:28.07, claiming a central lane for the final. Advertisement 2 Ellie McCartney won a silver medal at the European Under-23 Championships Credit: Ben McShane/Sportsfile 2 Mona McSharry picked up a second silver medal at the Sette Colli International meet in Rome Credit: Piaras O Midheach/Sportsfile However, she could not catch Denmark's Clara Rybak-Andersen, who took gold in 2:23.89. McCartney was just 0.13 of a second behind — a personal best — with Lithuania's Kotryna Teterevkova third in 2:24.86. The Enniskillen native said: 'I'm happy with the past few days, this is one step forward to the World Championships in Singapore. 'It's bittersweet being so close to getting gold again, but to get a PB, I know I put my best foot forward. I've achieved my goals and I'm walking away with my head high.' Advertisement Read More on Olympics Mona McSharry warmed up for next month's World Championships by picking up her second silver medal at the Sette Colli International meet in Rome. The Olympic medallist was second in the 200m breaststroke final to Great Britain's Angharad Evans, who registered 2:23.03. McSharry clocked 2:25.05, with home swimmer Francesca Fangio third in 2:25.18. Ellen Walshe also completed the medal set in a busy evening, taking silver in the 200m butterfly and bronze in the 200m Individual Medley in the Italian capital. The Templeogue swimmer won gold in the 400m IM on Friday. Advertisement Most read in Sport Denmark's Helena Rosendahl took gold in the butterfly in 2:07.68 with Walshe 1.91secs back. Italy's Paola Borrelli was third in 2:09.72. Just over an hour later, the two-time Olympian was back in the pool for the 200m IM. Daniel Wiffen reveals 'crazy' interaction with fans after Olympic gold medal The 23-year-old was third in 2:11.80. Great Britain's Abbie Wood was first in 2:10.72, followed by compatriot Katie Shanahan in 2:11.33.
The 42
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The 42
McCartney completes set of medals at European U23 championships
ELLIE MCCARTNEY HAS won a silver medal in the 200m Breaststroke at the European U23 Championships to go with the gold and bronze she won earlier in Slovakia. McCartney completed the set in a time of 2:24.02 to compliment her gold in the 200m Individual Medley and bronze in the 100m Breaststroke. The National Centre Limerick swimmer was third after 100m behind Denmark's Clara Rybek-Anderson and Lithuania's Kotryna Teterekova, before mounting her come back, out splitting both swimmers ahead of her in the second 100 metres. But it wasn't enough time to catch 2024 European silver medallist in the event Rybek-Anderson, who got the touch ahead of McCartney in 2:23.89. Teterekova took third in 2:24.86. Advertisement 'I'm happy with how the past few days have panned out, in the general scale of things this is only one step forward to the World Championships in Singapore,' McCartney said after the race. 'Its bittersweet being so close to getting gold again, but to get a pb, I know I put my best foot forward and my best performance out there, and to walk away a European U23 Champion is more than I could have dreamed of. I've achieved my goals that I wanted to while I was here and anything else was a bonus, so I'm walking away with my head held high.' Meanwhile at the Sette Colli International in Rome, Ellen Walshe doubled up with a silver and bronze medal on the last night of racing. After winning gold in the 400m Individual Medley on Friday, the Templeogue swimmer added silver in the 200m Butterfly in 2:09.59 and bronze in the 200m Individual Medley in 2:11.80 to her haul. McSharry won a second silver medal as she clocked 2:25.05 to take second in the final of the 200m Breaststroke. She won her first silver medal in the 100m Breaststroke on Thursday. Next up for Irish swimmers is the European Junior Championships, taking place in Samorin, Slovakia, which is the same venue as the European U23 Championships. The competition will run from Tuesday 1 July to Sunday 6 July, with sixteen Irish swimmers selected. The team include 2024 European Junior Champion in the 200m Backstroke and Silver medallist in the 100m Backstroke, John Shortt, and bronze medallist in the 100m Freestyle from the last edition Paris 2024 Olympian, Grace Davison. Shortt is also qualified for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
