Among the Gaels of pre-Christian Ireland, the meal revolves around the bronze cauldron suspended over the central hearth of the roundhouse. Daily fare consists of oat or barley porridge (*brotchán*) and dairy products. At the *fled*, the great banquet of the Ulster Cycle heroes' court, boiled or roasted meat is shared according to rank, and the most valiant warrior receives the *curadmír*, the "champion's portion." Apart from this, gifts (dairy, honey, bog butter) are set aside as offerings to the gods and the powers of the Otherworld, including war goddesses like Nemain. There is no starter-main-dessert: everything comes from the same fire, and the order is that of honor, not of courses.

Dairy products — churned butter, curdled milk, fresh cheeses — are the heart of Gaelic cuisine. Butter was buried in bog peat ("bog butter," found by archaeologists) to preserve it and give it a powerful, almost fermented flavor. This precious fat, both food and offering, defines the entire cuisine of this Celtic world.