Corned Beef – As American as Apple Pie

I’ve spent a lot of time in Ireland and was active in the Irish-American community in New York, and whenever I was asked why we Yanks think corned beef and cabbage go hand-in-hand with St. Patrick’s Day, I’d admit I didn’t know. I did know it wasn’t standard March 17th fare over there — bacon or pork is – except at some restaurants offering it primarily for tourists. American tourists, natch. 

So I did some digging. It seems 19th Century Irish immigrants to the U.S. were too impoverished to buy bacon but “corned” (preserved) beef was affordable. According to the ReligionFacts Website, they learned about corned beef from American Jewish friends. Bridget Haggerty says, in a myth-busting article on a Website devoted to Irish culture, that she never even tasted corned beef until she came to the States, although it is eaten in Ireland. Just not on the day marking the death of Ireland’s Patron Saint.

As Frances Shilliday puts it, in a cute little poem called Good Grief – Not Beef

This custom the Yanks have invented,  In an error they’ve never repented

At least we got the cabbage part right.

Tagged as: beef, brisket, food history, Ireland