Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional Irish American meal, especially around St. Patrick’s Day. However, this dish is more common in Irish American culture than in modern Irish cuisine. So why did Irish Americans adopt corned beef and cabbage as a cultural symbol?
The roots stem from Irish immigration to America in the 19th century, Irish American identity formation, corned beef’s affordability, and many Irish Americans’ distance from native cuisine. While bacon and cabbage was more common in Ireland, corned beef and cabbage came to represent Irish American culture over time.
Irish Immigration to America
Large numbers of Irish citizens immigrated to America following the Great Famine of 1845-1849. During this period, Ireland lost 25-30% of its population to starvation and emigration. From 1820 to 1860, the Irish immigrant population in America grew from 152,000 to 1.6 million.
The majority of Irish immigrants during this time were unskilled, poverty-stricken laborers from rural areas. They settled largely in urban centers along the East Coast and in cities like Boston, New York City, and Chicago.
Facing discrimination and anti-Irish sentiment, many Irish immigrants found community within their ethnic neighborhoods and local Catholic churches.
Growth of Irish American Identity
First generation Irish immigrants maintained a strong Irish cultural identity through their language, music, Catholic faith and nationalist politics. Their shared struggle as an oppressed minority strengthened ethnic boundaries between Irish Americans and other white groups.
However, their children and future generations assimilated into the American mainstream and developed a unique Irish American identity. Irish culture came to signify working class, urban communities. Traditional Irish symbols took on new meaning in the adopted homeland of Irish Americans.
Affordability of Corned Beef
In Ireland, cattle were raised primarily for dairy products like butter and milk. Fresh beef was more expensive and not eaten as regularly, since cows were more valuable alive for their dairy. Irish dishes using cheaper pork ingredients like bacon and ham were more common.
In America, beef was more affordable. Irish immigrants could buy affordable, readily available brisket and cure it into corned beef. Jewish immigrants from central and eastern Europe used similar curing methods to produce their own corned beef. This affordable curing process allowed new immigrants to produce flavors reminiscent of home.
While eating corned beef marked one as being Irish in 19th century America, it was originally considered an ethnic food of the working class.
Loss of Native Food Culture
Over time, Irish immigrants lost touch with the food culture of their native homeland. First generation immigrants held onto traditional dishes like Irish bacon, sausages and black pudding. But subsequent generations adapted their family foodways to incorporate American culture and ingredients.
Few first generation Irish immigrants were literate or owned cookbooks. So later Irish Americans did not have a guidebook for authentic Irish recipes. Instead, their Irish American food culture evolved based on identity, available ingredients, and economic factors – resulting in dishes like corned beef and cabbage.
Commercial Appeal
As Irish Americans moved up the economic ladder, corned beef and cabbage gained widespread appeal. Its reputation shifted from an ethnic food of the working class to a more commercial meal.
Corned beef and cabbage came to represent Irish American culture and heritage. By the early 20th century, it had become an Irish American tradition, far surpassing its popularity back in Ireland.
The meal gained more relevance in Irish American culture, eaten year-round but especially on St. Patrick’s Day. Over time, corned beef and cabbage was popularized by Irish American merchants, restaurants, fraternal organizations, newspapers, plays and songs.
Conclusion
While corned beef and cabbage is seen as traditionally Irish today, its roots only stretch back as far as Irish immigration to America. So why did it become so strongly tied to Irish American identity?
As Irish immigrants adjusted to their new home, corned beef and cabbage allowed them to retain parts of their culture, albeit adapted to American food availability. It symbolized the Irish American struggle and growth within their new country.
Affordable and easy to produce, it took on greater meaning than just a meal. In the following generations, it evolved into an emblem of ethnic pride for Irish Americans.
While the dish remains more significant to Irish American heritage than modern Irish culture, it formed a vital part of how Irish immigrants established their cultural identity within their adopted homeland. Over time, corned beef and cabbage became a distinctive symbol of Irish American culture, history and community.
References:
- Hasia Diner, Hungering for America: Italian, Irish and Jewish Foodways in the Age of Migration (Harvard University Press, 2009)
- Maureen O’Rourke Murphy, The Feast of the Irish: Traditional Irish Cooking (Roberts Rinehart Publishers, 1983)
- Marie Nightingale, Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History (Praeger, 2007)
- Hasia Diner, “The Most Irish City in the Union: The Era of the Great Migration, 1844-1877,” in Ronald H. Bayor and Timothy Meagher, eds., The New York Irish (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996)