Origins of Corned Beef
Posted
Sun, 03/21/04
The other day a reader left me a comment about the origins of corned beef, questioning whether it was a typical dish for the Irish on St. Patrick's Day. I always knew this area was sort of fuzzy – that the dish was more of an American tradition – so I searched for some concrete information and found the following at the World Food History web site:
According to the US Department of Agriculture, "Corned Beef & Cabbage" was originally a traditional dish served for Easter Sunday dinner in rural Ireland. The beef, because there was no refrigeration at that time, was salted or brined during the winter to preserve it, and was then eaten after the long, meatless Lenten fast. However, other Irish people feel that corned beef and cabbage is about as Irish as spaghetti and meatballs. That beef was a real delicacy usually served only to the kings. According to Bridgett Haggerty of the web site Irish Cultures and Customs, she says that their research shows that most likely a "bacon joint" or a piece of salted pork boiled with cabbage and potatoes would more likely have shown up for an Easter Sunday feast in rural parts of Ireland.
Since the advent of refrigeration, the trend in Ireland is to eat fresh meats. Today this peasant dish is more popular in the United States than in Ireland. Irish-Americans and lots of other people eat it on St. Patrick's Day, Ireland's principal feast day, as a nostalgic reminder of their Irish heritage.
And I suppose that's the truth of it, although I still find myself preparing and eating the savory dish every year as Ireland celebrates their patron saint.
*Related Blog Posts: Corned Beef Brine (06/10/03) and Speaking of Corned Beef (03/21/04).
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