BY MARGARET MORGAN
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Did you know that there are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry - more than seven times the population of Ireland itself? This Saturday, March 17, Irish Americans, Irish immigrants and those who may claim to have a wee bit of Irish heritage or just want to be Irish for a day will be celebrating while downing Guinness Stout and dining on traditional Irish fare, the most popular being Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Though cabbage has long been an Irish food, corned beef only began to be associated with St. Patrick's Day at the turn of the century. Bacon and Cabbage was the original Irish dish that eventually evolved into corned beef and cabbage. In Ireland on Saint Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage. Irish immigrants living on New York City’s Lower East Side substituted corned beef for their traditional dish of Irish bacon to save money. They learned about the cheaper alternative from their Jewish neighbors.
