St. Patrick’s Day Traditional Facts (and recipes!)

HISTORY

It’s that time of year, when many restaurants feature some form of Corned Beef & Cabbage on their menus, as a tip of the hat to Irish Heritage. However, you might be surprised to hear that traditionally, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Ireland did not include Corned Beef. For many years in Ireland, beef was much harder to come by and was considered a luxury item. Instead, pork was more commonly used as it was less costly. The Corned Beef & Cabbage meal that most Americans think of in association with St. Patrick’s Day came about after the Irish immigrated to the United States. Irish immigrants found that in America, beef was plentiful and inexpensive. Upon their emigration to the United States, they also discovered that Corned Beef had a similar texture to the ‘bacon,’ that they were accustomed to eating. As a result, Corned Beef took the place of bacon and a new tradition for Irish-American’s was born.

TRADITIONAL FARE

Bacon & Cabbage is a traditional Irish meal. However, the bacon in this instance, referred to as rashers, is more like pork loin. For reference, it’s a cut similar to Canadian Bacon and is cooked until done but not crispy. Other common food items for a traditional St. Patrick’s Day feast could include stew, shepherd’s pie, boiled potatoes and root vegetables, soda bread and scones. Traditional Soda Bread isn’t gussied up with raisins and caraway seeds as is common in the States. It’s a very simple bread that tastes great with butter, sharp cheddar or jam.

RECIPES

At Pinnacle Dining Services are a company all about the food. We’re also a family company that understands with many holidays; the overarching theme is to celebrate life with your family and friends. Commonly, that results in gathering together around a feast. With St. Patrick’s Day, and every other holiday, we wish you good company and good food. We hope that you’ll enjoy some of these recipes. Our dietitians have adapted some traditional recipes to have healthier more nutritious tweaks. Let us know what you think!