A Question for my Irish Readers...

[ecosophia]

...and those in England as well, come to think of it. The not particularly "super" supermarket (submarket?) where I shop has an ethnic foods aisle which, unlike many members of the same species, isn't primarily a place for whitebread Americans to sample exotic (to them) foodstuffs. It's a place for immigrants or members of ethnic subcultures to buy familiar foods that you mostly can't get in US stores. Up to now it's been pretty much what you'd expect: a very good selection of Portuguese foods (plenty of families in this part of New England came from Portuguese-speaking countries, and East Providence in particular has a lot of Cape Verdeans and Azoreans), an even bigger selection of Mexican foods, some foods from other Hispanic countries, a decent collection of Japanese and Korean foods, a decent collection of Indian-subcontinent foods, and a Jewish section with some of the classic Jewish foods. 

The store just rearranged its shelves, and there's a new section in the ethnic foods aisle. Batchelors' canned beans and mushy peas, Marmite, Barry's Irish tea, McVities' Digestive Biscuits. Devonshire cream custard. 

Yeah. Irish and, to a lesser extent, English food. 

Do any of you happen to know if there's some kind of quiet exodus from Ireland and, possibly, England as well to Rhode Island -- and if so, why? 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

In California the Irish have got a major hold on the imported organic Butter market - even closing in on New Zealand dairy.

If Irish agriculture marketing is smart then in a market with a strong dollar they will start exporting British food. If they are really smart then they can focus on the premium and mid market.

[(Anonymous)]

"If Irish agriculture marketing is smart then in a market with a strong dollar they will start exporting British food."

LOL don't you mind Irish food?