Why South Jersey Loves Irish Potatoes

We're already well into the middle of March which means Shamrock Shakes, green beer, and yes, Irish Potatoes, are back on the market.

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Walk into any South Jersey convenience store (including Wawa) and you'll find boxes of these either on the shelves or at the counter:

Irish Potatoes are deeply rooted in South Jersey's St. Paddy's Day traditions! In case you're not familiar with them, here's the skinny.

•  They're not actually potatoes. They're little munchkin-sized coconut balls mixed with cream cheese then sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar to make resemble the "veggie" Ireland is most famous for.

•  If you're going to partake in the Irish Potato tradition, Oh Ryan's is definitely your go-to brand. Why? Well, basically because that's the most popular one. A lot of residents have started making their own.

• There's a reason once you leave this area, you can't seem to find them anywhere.

Most people don't know this, but Irish Potato candies were actually first made in the Delaware Valley! Yup, Irish Potatoes actually come out of Philadelphia and are primarily sold in this region. So, just add it to the list with pork roll, scrapple, and Wawa; Irish Potatoes are definitely a Philly/Jersey thing. That's why our St. Paddy's Day celebrations are so fabulous, bar none.

Yet another reason why South Jersey's so awesome.

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Sources: Amazon, Creative Irish Gifts, Giphy, Eatery.com