Diarmuid’s food odyssey takes North Cork chef from Central American volcano to Connemara
WATERGRASSHILL chef Diarmuid Ó Mathúna has several pots on the boil after returning from a global foodie trip.
Currently appearing on TG4’s Campa Cúla4, Diarmuid has been preparing a range of simple recipes for children to try at home and bringing in guests who’ve showcased other recipes.
Diarmuid is also involved in the NeighbourFood movement. This concept devised two years ago by Cork City food entrepeneur, Jack Crotty, really took off when farmers markets had to be cancelled during the COVID-19 lock-down.
“If you want to shop at a farmer’s market, you register at www.neighbourfood.com and you get to select from the list of products from local food producers – you place your order and then you collect the food at your local collection point at a given time and day.”
At present there are a number of such markets in County Cork – Doneraile, Watergrasshill, Macroom, Toons Bridge, Ballymaloe and a number of others in Cork and around the country.
“Through NeighbourFood, waste is cut down because the producer knows exactly what’s needed days in advance,” said Diarmuid.
His sister, Máire, is hosting a NeighbourFood market in Watergrasshill where Diarmuid’s family run the popular and highly rated O’Mahony’s Bar/Restaurant and he will be hosting a similar market in Connemara where he’s opening a cafe in a cultural centre next door to the headquarters of TG4.
But before we get to Connemara, he spends some time talking about his around the world trip in 2018.
Before setting off he was running a pop-up restaurant in Cork City but he and his girlfriend Roisín left all that behind them to head for South and Central America on a 10-month adventure.
On his blog, https://www.mofoodblog.com, Diarmuid details all their adventures trying out ancient and exotic foods all over South and Central America.
In Guatemala and El Salvador, they were walking up the slopes of the Santa Ana Volcano when they met a woman.
“When the slightly curt elderly lady brought me this cup of what looked like curdled hot chocolate (despite my asking for coffee) there was something special about it”
“There wasn’t any milk in it and it didn’t taste like it had a whole pile of sugar either.
“The natural oils from the cocoa beans created a sort of rolling storm which swirled across the surface of the liquid in my mug- it tasted pretty special.”
Contrast that with another voa.lcanic experience when they reached the top and were persuaded to toast marshmallows from the heat of the lava!
“I’m not quite sure you could count this last one amongst the truly local, indigenous food experiences in the region but it sure was fun.
“After a short walk up an active volcano near Antigua we were handed stick and marshmallows and actually toasted them on the heat of the hot lava.”
The ten month trip also took them to the USA, New Zealand and Japan. “I’m glad that we went on that trip - it might not be possible for some time now - and I’m glad to be at home facing new challenges!”
He’s working hard at present to get his new café in Tig Johnny Sheáin near TG4 ready to open.