St. Patrick's Day Recipes to Take Your Celebration Over the Rainbow (2024)

FAQs

What does the rainbow represent on St. Patrick's day? ›

St. Patrick viewed the rainbow as a representation of God's promise to never again destroy the earth with a flood. So, the Irish myths and legends of rainbows and pots of gold merged with Christian beliefs to where we are today!

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Though families across the globe prepare this dish every St. Patrick's Day, the truth is that the dish originated in Ireland as bacon and cabbage. It wasn't until Irish immigrants in America substituted bacon for corned beef in the 19th century that the dish became what it's known as today.

Folklore depicts leprechauns as mistrustful creatures who detest humans. According to legend, leprechauns found the abandoned gold and buried it again so no human could ever find it. The old folktales tell us that there is a pot of gold hidden where the end of any rainbow touches the earth.

Despite the fact that a leprechaun's gold is unattainable, rainbows remain a staple of St. Patrick's Day and the luck of the Irish.

Myth has it that leprechauns hide a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. So if you see one on St. Patrick's Day, but sure to follow it to find this treasure!

Maybe you would wish for food, like maybe some ice cream. Do you think leprechauns like ice cream? Well, turns out Leprechauns eat different types of wild- flowers, nuts, potatoes, and mushrooms. They also enjoy fancy homemade beverages and on given occasions, they take dandelion tea.

Believed to have been a staple of Irish cuisine since around the year 1800, heart-warming homemade stew remains a firm favourite to this day. To many across the country, Irish stew is the national dish of Ireland. The methods and flavour of an Irish stew vary from person to person and have evolved over the years.

What is the traditional vegetable for St. Patrick's day? ›

Throughout history, plentiful and nutrient-rich cabbage has been a mainstay in Ireland. Ina Garten's Sauteed Cabbage celebrates this sturdy vegetable, by sauteing it simply with butter, salt and pepper. Get more ways to ring in St. Patrick's Day right here.

The two types of entree food that people are supposed to eat, according to tradition, are shepherd's pie and corned beef and cabbage. As for appetizers and St. Patrick's Day snacks, dishes like pudding, soda bread, Irish pancakes, and colcannon are quite popular.

The holiday is a huge moneymaker for pubs as people drink Guinness after Guinness, the most popular drink of the day. The amount of alcohol sold tallies up to billions of dollars, but the average bar tab tends to be reasonably priced.

Sip on green beer, Irish coffee, Baileys and more — cheers! Nothing says St. Patrick's Day like a pint of Guinness or a frosty glass of green beer. While there's nothing wrong with keeping things simple, it's also fun to get creative with your drink menu.

1. Roasted vegetables: Roasted carrots, parsnips, potatoes, or Brussels sprouts make flavorful and hearty side dishes that complement the savory flavors of corned beef. 2. Mashed potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are a classic accompaniment to corned beef, providing a comforting and satisfying addition to the meal.

It's actually pretty simple — corned beef got its name from the dry curing process used to preserve the meat. A slice of beef was covered in “corns” (large, coarse pellets of salt), which would draw out the moisture and prevent the growth of bacteria.

It was originally used as a substitute for bacon by Irish-American immigrants in the late 1800's. Irish immigrants living in New York learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors. They found the meat was cheaper and had a similar taste and texture to bacon. So a tradition was born.