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the Celts introduced the cabbage from Asia to lands they invaded c.600B.C.
These snippets from history make the Irish connection quite vague and puzzling. Perhaps there could be answers in Ireland's past history.

From ancient times in Ireland, cattle were a symbol of status and power and a means of bartering. (Pork was regarded as the poor man's meat). In the 1600's, corned beef is recorded as being a meat eaten at Easter in Ireland. St. Patrick's Day is just before Easter. Corned beef symbolised self-respect and dignity for the Irish. Perhaps the eating of corned beef on St. Patrick's Day is all about a proud connection with an Irish heritage unattainable for the average peasant in Ireland. The very dignity so remote in Ireland seemed possible in the New World.

The port of Cork in Ireland could be part of the answer too. Cork was a major export point for corned beef and a major embarkation point for the Irish travelling to America. Surely weeks of travel on the high seas with corned beef would generate a yearning for the food and an awareness of where it was available once the immigrants reached America.

And what about cabbage? Cabbage is one of the hardiest and nutritious vegetables. It requires minimal attention. American Indians are well-documented as growing cabbages in New York and Florida. Cabbage could have been easily attainable on the east coast of America, even for the poor Irish immigrants.

Now it's understandable why the Irish back home in Ireland are somewhat amused by the attention given to corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. It is really an Irish American tradition, but restaurants in Ireland serve it to accommodate the tourists. Perhaps the pride taken in eating this meal is now irrelevant in the Irish world?

Even though the history of eating corned beef and cabbage on St Patrick's Day is a little more complex than first appears, at least there are possible answers. But other incomplete information could upset all these theories. Several websites claim that John Wilson, (a London chemist) did not discover the process of corned meat till c.1725. It was a French navigator who brought cabbage to Canada in 1536, but what about the U.S.? And did any Irish Americans attempt to grow their own cabbage?

Bibliography
History of Corned Beef and Cabbage
http://spring-recipes.suite101 .com/article.cfm/history_of_co rned_beef_cabbage

Irish Culture and Customs http://www.irishcultureandcust oms.com/2Kitch/aCBeefCabge.htm l

History of Cabbage as Food http://homecooking.about.com/o d/foodhistory/a/cabbagehistory .htm

Cabbage Trivia http://www.cheriestihler.com/C C/trivia.html

Learn more about this author, Gemma Wiseman.
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