yellowman

The words "Ireland" and "candy" probably don't automatically go together in most people's minds when considering traditional Irish food. In the last few decades, of course, renowned Irish candy-makers have sprung up -- specifically chocolatiers like Lír and Lily O'Brien's. But much older than anything these folks produce is a traditional Irish sweet that hails from the northern counties, and is famous enough to have been enshrined in song.

Yellowman is associated with the great annual harvest-time cattle fair at Ballycastle, County Antrim. ("Did you treat your Mary Ann / To some dulse and yellowman / at the old Lammas Fair / at Ballycastle, O?" asks the old song.) It's a toffee based on golden syrup and brown sugar. Vinegar sharpens the taste, and the toffee acquires a unique bubbly, light, crunchy consistency due to the reaction of the vinegar with the baking soda that's added to the mixture when it's hot enough. Yellowman was sold from numerous competing stalls at the Ballycastle fair, the various entrepreneurs making all kinds of claims for their own product. One stallkeeper claimed that his family's recipe for yellowman would cure all known diseases. (Pity it wasn't true.)

Yellowman is fairly quick and easy to make if you want to give it a try. It's a pleasant candy just eaten on its own: and some of the new generation of Irish chefs have started putting it in other desserts, such as ice cream.

Click on "read more" for the recipe.