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EVER WONDERED WHY the booming fish and chips market in Ireland has such a distinctly Italian flavour?
Well, we’re here to tell you.
(And it’s not just because Italians have the secret to make chips taste absolutely delicious, although we’re pretty sure that helps…)
There are over 100 strong Italian names in the chipper game these days, with the boom of Irish-Italian chippers happening in the 1950s. But the original wave of Italian emigrants to these shores actually began far earlier than that – we’ve had Irish-Italian culinary masters in Ireland since 1880, it turns out. By 1909, there were 20 fish and chip shops in Dublin alone – and that was serving up chips to a population of just 290,000.
Almost all of the chipper families come from the same district of six villages in the Casalattico and Val Di Comino municipalities in the province of Frosinone in the Lazio region in the South of Italy, about 110km away from Rome. Up to 8,000 Irish-Italians have ancestors from Casalattico and nearby Picinisco. So now you know where to book your next holiday, eh?
According to one popular explanation, the well-known Dublin slang for fish and chips “one and one” actually comes from Italian – it morphed into our vernacular from the question “Uno di questa, uno di quella?” meaning “one of this, one of the other”. So now you know.
According to the Irish Traditional Italian Chippers Association, the number of Irish-Italian chippers all over the country has grown to over 200 – and that’s in a country with only 849 cities and towns, accordin to the 2011 Census, so they’ve fairly much taken us over.
But it’s not all business when it comes to the vibrant Irish-Italian community. There’s also a social club, Club Italiano, which was set up in 1970 and has become a focal point for socialising for three generations of the community. The Club Italiano clubhouse sits on 13 acres of land in Rathfarnham and organises activities such as balls, BBQs, concerts, exhibitions and lots of fundraisers.
Want to learn more? Well, luckily you can. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the unique phenomenon of fish and chip dynasties here in Ireland, all the way from Lazio. If you’re hungry for more (pun intended, sorry), check out this fascinating documentary from Nick Tropiano:
Romayo’s is family owned and operated, and has been since 1959. We’ve just been voted Ireland’s best chipper for the second time in three years – and we pride ourselves on our modern take on the traditional fish and chips menu, including our taste test award-winning Big Beef burger.
Order online for free deliveries within just 30 minutes on romayos.ie and enjoy 10% off with the voucher code Journal10. Buon appetito!
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Why are there no Italian chippers in Italy?
Because they’ll feed the heart clogging junk to us and then sprinkle a little olive oil on their own bruschetta.Anyone eating this muck more than once a month should just check into The coronary unit now.
Guess the chips are down so!
@Dave Cullen …do you smoke and/or drink out of curiosity. ..
@Dave cullen: Do you never relax, have fun, enjoy yourself?
It should be noted that despite the content of this article Asians are fast moving in on the chipper business, for two main reasons 1. We all have eat so there is always demand and 2 they love a business that deals mainly in cash so anything that should go to revenue can be used elsewhere.
I reckon you would be a right bundle of giggles to go out for a sterilised pint with Dave.
Maybe, but is your Cod really Cod?
Same reason why motorbikes don’t have ashtrays
Why are there no Chinese restaurants in China?
@Dave Cullen, sounds like you have a bit of a chip on your shoulder…..
Actually most chinese food is very healthy, its just the muck that irish and western people like to order in a chinese restaurant is usually the unhealthiest on the menu. Cant blame the chinese or italians for profiting off our unhealthy obsession with eating crap
@John Bennett: last year I asked Sligo Environmental Health to check out the meat on a ham pizza as I thought it might have been died turkey, which is common practice for those who observe sharia. They at the and told me that they had carried out the inspection but that I was not entitled to know the results; unbelievable!
How come you never see “french onion soup” on menus in paris restaurants?
Because they eat pasta
I once ordered cod in a chipper and got whiting, when I pointed out that it wasn’t cod I was told ‘sure it’s all fish isn’t it’. I should have handed her a euro and told her ‘sure it’s all money’ and seen what answer I’d have gotten.
Keep doing the English lessons there Jho.Jaysus!
Great hard working people they are too
Interesting tidbit of trivia is that originally deep fried fish in a crispy style batter is a Jewish dish, a Jewish immigrant Mr malin opened the first fish and chip shop in London in 1860. Glad it became popular as its mighty fine comfort food.
@molly coddled: & Kebab Shops 1st started in Dublin abouts early 20th century due to the vicinty of the Barracks abouts SCR ?? which had a large Mid – East population also !
@Andy Lawrence Moore: well hows abouts that.
Theres a chipper just over Portobello bridge called Apriles and the food is amazing and theres not one Italian in it and all lovely guys
@Janet Jan Coyle: Apriles would be a Castellatico Family though ? I knew a Lady whose folks were Apriles of Stillorgan !!
Used to love Burdocks “backbone Ray & Chips with scratchings” Aoul Johnny having his pint while he was putting coal into the burner for the fryer.
i prefer beshoffs of howth
@Nasir Saeed:
Me too. They use peanut oil, I believe, which is healthy for you.Most other chippers use crap oil and spoil everything.
@Patrick J O’CONNOR:
I’d say ‘healthier’ rather than healthy :-P
@Jensen Vhrin:
Healthy implies the others are unhealthy which I strongly believe is the case. However, I do love chips and wish all chippers would use healthy oil. But try and suggest that to some chipper owners and they look at you as if you had two heads . Anyways I keep trying. Beshoffs healthy oil chips are great.
None of them use peanut oil, the cheapest oil they can find they use,lard or veg oil is all
Went to the grill n’ griddle, ordered fish n’ chips. Ended up with n’ digestion.
Was told before that the fish and chips used to cost one and one in old money and that’s where the names from?
chips were a shilling in the 60s. A one and one came about because the newly arrived Italians couldn’t speak English. you just said one and one and pointed.
Those chips look soggy, greasy, and disgusting.
We still slag Italians last ting at night drink about Italia 90.. they don’t care once there getting the few quid out of you..and then cod you with a pollock last laugh for them. Grartzie
Best Chipper is Libero’s Ballinteer
I deliver fats and vegetable oil too a lot of chippers in Leinster, I’d say there is only 40% of them Italian, most Italians have they’re chippers leased out to muldovians or European nationals
I thought they followed the british army home from the occupation of Italy after napoleon was defeated. The chippers started around garrison towns.
Burdocks >>> any of that Greasy Italian muck
I love Burdocks but its still greasy muck.
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