I was talking to a friend recently about food, and she had an intriguing question: “is corned beef authentically Irish cuisine?” To be honest, I never thought about that question before, and as St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, it seemed appropriate to tackle now. Growing up in Chicago, as March approached, local supermarkets and restaurants trumpeted the availability of corned beef and cabbage for your St. Patrick’s Day feast on March 17. Now, here in Cleveland, it is much the same story. Based on on some research, the dish is neither authentic or inauthentic as it related to Ireland, instead… it’s complicated. The name “corned beef” refers to the preparation of the dish, where beef – often brisket – is cured for several days in a salt brine. The rocks of salt/saltpeter in the brine are known as “corns,” hence the name. This deep dive from Smithsonian Magazine talks in depth about the history of corned beef. It seems that pork was much more commonly eaten in Ireland throughout history, with beef taking a back seat, as cows were mainly used for diary production. Later, corned beef was made in Ireland for export throughout the British Empire, particularly in canned form. Destinations for this canned beef included the Caribbean and North America, though the Irish producers may have not commonly eaten this in their own diets.
As the Irish immigrated to the US, local beef was more readily accessible, and through contact with other cultures in the US, corned beef became an Irish American staple. In particular, there seems to be a cross-pollination with the corned beef popular in American Jewish cuisine, with Irish often sourcing corned beef from Jewish butchers/delis. American producers also began making canned corned beef, as well. Over the years, corned beef became strongly associated with Irish American culture, and with St. Patrick’s Day in particular (which is historically more of an event in the USA than it is in Ireland). If you want to make your own, the Kitchn has several recipes, perfect for the occasion, no matter where you are in the world on March 17. So, the peripatetic route of corned beef shows that culture – and cuisine – is never really static.
Eating The World 