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The Food Tours and Trails of County Armagh, Northern Ireland, came to Wasabi Crop. The objective behind these tours is as a result of local chefs and producers willing to showcase the rich heritage of food grown in County Armagh. The tour created a unique opportunity for the guests to be able to meet the chefs and producers and hear about their passion and commitment to food. The great thing about these food tours is that you have the pleasure of tasting the local produce and enjoying the journey for a brief moment.
On this particular tour, Head Chef John Whyte of the County Armagh Hotel gave an inspirational talk about food preparation in ‘The Friary Restaurant.’ The monks lived in the nearby Franciscan Friary from the 13th Century. Chef Whyte and his team mirror the monks’ ideology by using the best locally sourced ingredients as the basis for all their menus.
The tour then headed to the picturesque Drumlin belt towards the outskirts of Portadown for a visit to the Armagh Cider Company. The Troughton family has been growing delicious apples on their farm at Ballinteggart House for four generations. A short drive took the party to Groucho’s pub, located in the 17th-century Square of the historic village of Richhill. Head chef Mervyn Steenson served a delicious lunch made with the finest produce from County Armagh.
The final part of this culinary journey was at Wasabi Crop, where the party picked and sampled wasabi leaves and stems. This is the first time that Wasabia Japonica has been cultivated in Northern Ireland. Zak Kitson gave an inspirational talk about the origins of Wasabi and the reasons behind the formation of Wasabi Crop.
Following the enlightening visit to Wasabi Crop, the tour participants were treated to a cooking demonstration utilising fresh wasabi in traditional and modern recipes. This unique inclusion highlighted the versatility of wasabi as an ingredient and emphasised the tour’s commitment to connecting food enthusiasts with innovative local produce. The day concluded with a tasting session, allowing everyone to experience fresh wasabi’s distinct, pungent taste, a first for many, solidifying County Armagh’s reputation as a hub of culinary excellence and innovation.
Everybody enjoyed a good day out!
I’m Sofia Kitson, the Wasabi Crop Blogger. My interests are writing articles on growing and cooking with wasabi.