St. Patrick's Day inspires people to go searching for the Irish within them. Many will stop at a restaurant or pub, seeking an Irish experience of the consumable variety.
So just what can one expect from the cuisine of the Emerald Isle?
One Irish staple served by establishments everywhere is corned beef and hash. This combination of salted beef and fried potatoes, however, is just about as Irish as Shamrock Shakes.
As Andy Drobac, cook for The Brocach Irish restaurant, 7 W. Main St., clarifies, \Beef was not widely consumed in Ireland. They used bacon, which was just cured pork loin.""
Corned beef and hash does, however, closely resemble a traditional Irish dish known as colcannon. Dineen Grow of the Celtic Cultural Center of Madison describes the dish as being a stewed combination of potatoes, cabbage and scallions, usually served on Halloween. Besides lacking beef, it differs from the American dish in that some luck o' the Irish is included: Ring is tossed in the mixture, bringing good fortune to the individual who finds it in their portion.
If one discusses Irish food in America, one familiar root is almost certain to be mentioned: the potato. Though utilized extensively in rural Ireland, this food was actually the result of American influence.
According to John Gleeson, co-director of the Center for Celtic Studies at UW-Milwaukee, potatoes were imported from the New World and were not adopted as a primary food source until the early 19th century.
Corned beef and potatoes aside, the primary Irish influence on American dining is surprising. Despite the association of oats with the recognizable Quaker Oats pilgrim, oats were actually introduced to the United States by none other than Ireland. Gleeson explains that oats were the center of the Irish diet beginning in the 12th century, having been cultivated from an English weed. They were used to make breads, and Dineen Grow notes, ""[The Irish] would add oats to hot drinks to make them more substantial.""
Oats were not grown in America until they were imported from Ireland. Once here, they flourished in the cool, moist climates of New England and the Midwest, leading them to become a beloved, inexpensive source of nourishment.
In addition to oats, the Irish relied heavily on dairy products, something Wisconsinites can relate to. The importance of dairy in Ireland traces back to the early Celtic people, says Gleeson, to the extent that cows were seen as wealth. Gleeson adds, ""Having three cows was like having a $100 in your pocket.""
The Irish also lent early New World pioneers a cooking method that became as American as apple pie.
Stews were a necessity in Ireland, where pit fires were the primary source for cooking. As Dineen Grow mentions, the early Irish ""didn't have ovens with convection heat,"" which resulted in most families cooking ""pretty much anything that could fit in a pot.""
American settlers, some of whom were Irish, adopted stews as an easy way to make hearty, hot meals while they were on the move.
The heat of kettle-cooked meals, especially appealing in chilly, drizzly Ireland, continues to make stews a favorite for those suffering through American winters.
If you're looking for an authentic connection to Ireland this St. Patrick's Day, you may want to take a detour from corned beef and potatoes.
Instead, slice up some Dubliner cheese, stuff yourself with stew and top it off with an oatmeal cookie.
Eaten in the spirit of the season, such a feast can bring out the Irish in any American.
