William Murphy William Murphy

IF YOU’VE EVER lived abroad, you’ll know the feeling. The cravings for foodstuffs and other things you can only get in Ireland.

It’s why Irish shops do such great business across the globe, flogging homegrown tea and potato-based snacks to the emerald isle’s legion of expats.

Now the latest edition of the Diaspora Decides survey by Checkout magazine in partnership with Behaviour and Attitudes has documented what Irish people miss the most when living away from these shores.

Checkout Checkout

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Top of the list? It was always going to be, wasn’t it? Tayto crisps are the ‘most missed food among Irish emigrants’.

42% of the 546 respondents to the survey said that they missed the Co Meath crisp brand  when overseas, with 18% saying that they missed the iconic crisp “a lot”.

Mr Tayto will be happy.

Other food brands that we find ourselves pining for when living elsewhere include Cadbury’s chocolate (missed by 40% of those surveyed) and, perhaps a little surprisingly, Kerrygold butter (17% of respondents said that they missed it a lot).

In the battle of the teas, Barry’s just about edged out Lyons. Both cups of scald were missed by 40% of respondents, but Barry’s topped the polls when it comes to missing the tea a lot, with 17% scored versus 16% for Lyons.

Checkout Checkout

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The survey went further and asked the subject group what products they feel Ireland produces to a higher standard than anywhere else in the world.

And the winner is Guinness, with 66% of respondents saying that a pint of the black stuff is served to a higher standard on Irish shores.

Lovely creamy pintsSource: Scott Thompson

Following hot on its heels are prepacked bacon/rashers (65%), meat (62%), sausages (61%), butter (61%), and milk (58%).

There's a slight trend there, we're thinking. You may be able to spot it.

"It seems that our panelists were unperturbed by recent WHO (World Health Organisation) utterances on pork and bacon products," said Martha Fanning of Behaviour and Attitudes.

The traditional fry up is safe for now.

Read: This new service delivers Irish treats to emigrants all over the world

Read: Tayto chocolate chip cookies are now a thing

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