Page 103 - Southern Oregon Magazine Winter 2020

CORNED BEEF

Not Really Irish, But
Totally Irish

chris dennett

very year on March 17, millions of
EAmericans dress in green, crack open
a Guinness, and have a meal of corned
beef, cabbage, and potatoes. But why do
we do that? You would be hard pressed to
find corned beef anywhere in Ireland. The
question has to be asked: why is corned
beef and cabbage so affiliated with the
Irish, and specifically, St. Patrick’s Day?

As is always the case, the story the food is
a story of peoples and cultures. In every
way, the American food traditions for St.
Patrick’s Day are born not directly from
Ireland, but from Irish immigrants and
their place in society during the 19th and
early 20th centuries. Our concept of the
“traditional” Irish meal as something eve-
ryone in Ireland sits down to on March 17
is ultimately a fabrication—part myth and
part history.

Let’s first look at the parts that are
grounded in historical fact. The Feast of
St. Patrick is on the liturgical calendar, and
is observed by the Catholics, Anglicans,
Lutherans, and Eastern Orthodox as a
religious day of obligation. While it is uni-
versally observed on March 17, there are
rare times when it varies so as not to fall
during Holy Week.

It celebrates the legacy of Patrick, the
Patron Saint of Ireland. There are several
opinions on what is or is not historical fact
about Patrick’s life, but the most com-
mon one is that he was kidnapped by Irish
brigands from his native Roman Britain,
where he spent six years as a slave, eventu-
ally escaped, and ultimately returned as a
priest to bring Christianity to Ireland. This
was most likely in the 5th century.

winter 2020 | www.southernoregonmagazine.com 101