Champ is an Irish dish of mashed potatoes with scallions, butter and milk.

Description

Champ is made by combining mashed potatoes with chopped spring onions also known as scallions, butter, milk, and, optionally, salt and pepper. It was sometimes made with stinging nettle rather than scallions. In some areas the dish is also called "poundies". Champ is similar to another Irish dish, colcannon, which uses kale or cabbage in place of scallions. Champ is popular in Ulster, whilst colcannon is more so in the other three provinces of Ireland. It was customary to make champ with the first new potatoes harvested. The word champ has also been adopted into the popular Hiberno-English phrases, to be "as thick as champ", meaning to be stupid, ill-tempered or sullen.

Samhain

The dish is associated with Samhain, and would be served on that night. In many parts of Ireland, it was tradition to offer a portion of champ to the fairies by placing a dish of champ with a spoon at the foot of a hawthorn.

Similar dishes

• Clapshot • Stovies • Bubble and squeak, from England • Colcannon from Ireland • Biksemad, from Denmark • Trinxat, from the Empordà region of Catalonia, northeast Spain, and Andorra • Roupa velha (Portuguese for "old clothes"), from Portugal, often made from leftovers from cozido à portuguesa • Stamppot, from the Netherlands • Stoemp, from Belgium • Hash, from the United States • Hash browns • Potato cake