Crossing oceans for Dingle lamb

“THE world’s best lamb comes from Dingle.” It’s the kind of topic farmers might discuss over a pint in Foxy John’s, but when it headlines an article in an international foodie bible with millions of readers it’s enough to leave local restaurateurs watering at the mouth.

According to an article in the current edition of Saveur magazine West Kerry lamb “has something that you can’t get anywhere else: a slightly salty flavor that comes from the seaside fields where the lambs graze… it’s well worth the trip to Ireland.”

This glowing report follows on from an earlier feature article by Michael Ruhlman, which was published two weeks ago in Saveur. Ruhlman, who visited Dingle last August and was shown around by the people in Dingle Peninsula Tourism wrote about how “an eclectic community of chefs, poets, publicans, artists, and ice cream makers have turned a once sleepy seaside village into an unlikely food destination.”

Dingle’s top restaurants, such as The Global Village, Idá’s, the Chart House, Ashes, and Out of The Blue all get a mention and to say Ruhlman was impressed would be a massive understatement. He carefully notes the town’s better drinking establishments, savours Beor Chorca Dhuibhne, reckons Murphy’s ice cream is made from “arguably the best milk in the world” and the crab claws were “better than any crab I’ve had, period.”

Saveur sells 300,000 copies in the US and claims two million online readers worldwide. Expect to meet some of them around town shortly and if you need to feel good about living in Dingle look up the article on http://www.saveur.com/worldsbest-lamb-comes-from-dingle-ireland.