Corned Beef and Cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day? Not So Irish, Historians Say (Published 2016) (2024)

Many staples of St. Patrick’s Day in the United States have little or nothing to do with Ireland, such as green beer and green bagels. But some Irish Americans might be surprised by another entry on that list of suspect foods: corned beef and cabbage.

Experts say the meal originated on American soil in the late 19th century as Irish immigrants substituted corned beef for bacon, which was meat of choice in the homeland.

“When they came here they found bacon was expensive,” said Niall O’Dowd, the publisher of Irish America magazine and The Irish Voice, an Irish newspaper in New York.

Mr. O’Dowd suggested another plot twist in the meal’s back story. Like Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of the Irish classic “Ulysses,” the dish of boiled brisket and root vegetables may actually be of Irish-Jewish extraction.

“The theory I’ve always heard is when the immigrants came to New York City it was actually Jewish brisket that they ate because it was cheaper than beef,” he said.

Jay P. Dolan, the author of “The Irish Americans: A History,” said corned beef and cabbage is a relatively uncommon dish back in the old country.