Champ

Champ is a traditional Irish dish that's both simple and budget-friendly. It’s made by combining mashed potatoes with finely chopped scallions, butter, milk, and sometimes a bit of salt and pepper. While scallions are the preferred ingredient today, stinging nettle was commonly used in the past, although that's quite rare now.

In some regions, people refer to champ as "poundies." It’s particularly popular in Ulster, whereas in other parts of Ireland, colcannon—a similar dish that uses kale or cabbage instead of scallions—takes center stage.

Interestingly, the word "champ" has found its way into some Irish expressions. For instance, saying someone is "as thick as champ" implies they’re not very intelligent, and describing someone as "as ignorant as champ at a wedding" suggests they’re uncultured or boorish. This is because champ is seen as a humble, everyday dish, not something you'd serve at a fancy celebration.