The Corned Beef Irish Thing
Sorcha Hyland is never afraid to speak up for clarification of things Irish in the KC region, and she’s quoted extensively in the Lawrence Journal-World. Seems, much like the Hoffenpurpenburgers don’t eat purple peppers, that Sorcha never tasted Corned Beef until she moved to the US:
Corned beef is not something Irish people eat, the Lawrence resident says. It’s cooked there mainly for tourists. I tasted my first corned beef when I came here.
The article theorizes a bit about the Corned Beef without actually mentioning the origin of the dish.
It’s fairly well documented that Irish immigrants in New York in the late 1800s were introduced to Corned Beef by the Jewish Community, taking to it as a cheaper and available substitute for the actual dish of Irish Bacon consumed back in Ireland.
Oh, and Sorcha doesn’t drink Green Beer.
The article also has recipes for Irish Stew, Colcannon, Soda Bread, and Nettle Soup
See Also:
• Eating Turkey in America and Ireland
• Irish Woman Struggles With Tea in Lawrence, KS
• Is Ireland Really Green, Potato-Eating, and Red-Haired ?
Eolaí gan Fhéile:
I find the statement that corned beef is cooked in Ireland for tourists curious, as in two trips to Ireland as a tourist, I have not ever encountered corned beef. Of course, that does at least fit with the main point.
I’m trusting Sorcha is pretty tuned in to tourism - she certainly sounds it when you hear her talk. Myself, I had a feeling I’ve seen a small number of signs for Corned Beef in some tourist traps in Ireland, but I’m not certain - I’ll pay more attention over the next few months.
Either way, as you say, the main point holds.