Aside from shamrocks, everything green, and beer, one of the first things people think of when they hear St. Patrick’s Day is corned beef and cabbage. Have you ever wondered why corned beef and cabbage is a staple for a St. Patrick’s Day meal? At George’s Lincoln Park Diner, we don’t question why we eat this delicious meal, but we are getting a little curious.

What many people don’t know is that corned beef and cabbage is not an Irish dish; it was derived from the Irish Americans. Corned beef was produced in Ireland, but the Irish were not wealthy enough to eat it. However, hundreds of years later when the Irish came to America, they were then able to afford to eat the corned beef that their grandparents could never afford. This is where corned beef and cabbage became a typical St. Patrick’s Day dish. In Ireland, bacon and lamb are the original, and still are the traditional meat of St. Patrick’s Day, but corned beef and cabbage is now the traditional American St. Patrick’s Day dish.

St. Patrick’s Day is very different in America than it is in Ireland. Aside from the corned beef and cabbage differences, Irish Americans turned a religious day into a day of festivities, drinking, and eating. Looking to celebrate this year whether you are Irish or not? Head on over to George’s Lincoln Park Diner in NJ, where we are offering Corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, Irish stew, and fish and chips!