St Patrick’s Day was first celebrated in 1631 to honor Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland who died in the 5th Century. Also called “Feast Day”, it’s traditionally been a day where the Irish head to mass, watch a parade in honor of St Paddy, and eat Irish foods. Today, it’s more about the food and fun so get on board, grab your greens, and delight in some of the best Irish cuisine to get into the theme.
Corned beef: Corned beef has an Irish history that dates back to when the Cattle Acts of 1663 and 1667 prohibited the export of live cattle to England. This lowered the cost of meat available for salted beef production.
The term corned beef describes the salt crystals that were used to cure the beef – and salt was in high demand (and available for low tax levels).This led to Irish corned beef being termed “the best on the market”. It was a bit different back in the day and was more salty than beefy, but it’s as Irish as they come.
Cabbage: Like corned beef, cabbage is often representative of Irish food – and again, the connection goes back to the 1600s. At the time, land laws saw Irish farmers paying rent to the English to farm on Irish land. This meant most could barely survive – and they turned to their cabbage crops for food because it had so many nutrients.
Soda bread: Although its attributed to Ireland, soda bread was first created by Native Americans. The Irish later discovered and replicated the process. Irish soda bread was first introduced in the early 1800s when baking soda was first introduced to the country. It’s made from flour, salt, baking soda and sour milk (or buttermilk today).
Irish cream bread pudding: Bread pudding’s history dates back to the 11th and 12th Centuries – it was an easy way to use stale bread and was often called “poor man’s pudding”. It’s made using layers of bread, added into a dish, with custard sauce poured over the top – and of course, a few added extras today. This includes delicious Irish cream, which is a blend of heavy cream, condensed milk, Irish whiskey, instant coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla and almond extract.
Boiled red potatoes and carrots: Dating back again to the 1600s (and prior), farming was huge in Ireland, but the money was not. As such, the Irish turned to simplicity, feasting on the crops they grew. That included carrots and Irish potatoes, the most widely grown potatoes around the world. Also called Rooster potatoes, they are red-skinned and yellow-fleshed – and great for boiling, mashing, making chips, roasting, steaming, and baking.
When you’re prepping for your St Patrick’s Day celebration, keep these delicious delights in mind. They’re generally easy to prepare, but if you prefer to have someone else do the cooking, DJR Catering is the company for you. They’ll prep a delicious feast and deliver it directly to your home or workplace.