{{Short description|Salt-cured beef product}} {{Globalize|date=March 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox food | name = Corned beef | image = Cooked corned beef.JPG | alternate_name = Salt beef, bully beef (if canned) | creator = | course = | served = | main_ingredient = Beef, salt, nitrates | caption = Cooked corned beef | variations = Adding sugar and spices | cookbook = Corned Beef }} '''Corned beef''' (called '''salt beef''' in Ireland and Commonwealth countries) is a salt-cured piece of beef. The term comes from the treatment of the meat with large-grained rock salt, also called "corns" of salt. Sometimes, sugar and spices are added to corned beef recipes. Corned beef is featured as an ingredient in many cuisines.
Most recipes include nitrates, which convert the natural myoglobin in beef to {{chem name|nitrosomyoglobin}}, giving it a pink color. Nitrates and nitrites reduce the risk of dangerous botulism during curing by inhibiting the growth of ''Clostridium botulinum'' bacteria spores,<ref>{{cite web |author=US Dept of Agriculture |url=https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a70a5447-9490-4855-af0d-e617ea6b5e46/Clostridium_botulinum.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217103034/http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/connect/a70a5447-9490-4855-af0d-e617ea6b5e46/Clostridium_botulinum.pdf?MOD=AJPERES |archive-date=December 17, 2014 |title=Clostridium botulinum |access-date=December 13, 2016}}</ref> but react with amines in beef to form compounds that cause cancer.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Xie |first=Yingfeng |last2=Geng |first2=Yaqian |last3=Yao |first3=Jinbo |last4=Ji |first4=Junfu |last5=Chen |first5=Fang |last6=Xiao |first6=Jianbo |last7=Hu |first7=Xiaosong |last8=Ma |first8=Lingjun |date=September 2023 |title=N-nitrosamines in processed meats: Exposure, formation and mitigation strategies |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2666154323001527 |journal=Journal of Agriculture and Food Research |language=en |volume=13 |article-number=100645 |doi=10.1016/j.jafr.2023.100645|doi-access=free }}</ref> Beef cured without nitrates has a gray color and is sometimes called "New England corned beef".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ewbank |first1=Mary |title=The Mystery of New England's Gray Corned Beef |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/why-ish-corned-beef-gray-new-england |website=Atlas Obscura |access-date=July 22, 2019 |date=March 14, 2018}}</ref>
Tinned corned beef, alongside salt pork and hardtack, was a standard ration for many militaries and navies from the 17th through the early 20th centuries, including World War I and World War II, during which fresh meat was rationed.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal |title=Sailing on The Ship: Re-enactment and the Quest for Popular History |first=Alexander |last=Cook |journal=History Workshop Journal |issue=57 |year=2004 |volume=57 |pages=247–255 |jstor=25472737 |doi=10.1093/hwj/57.1.247 |s2cid=194110027 |hdl=1885/54218 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Corned beef remains popular worldwide as an ingredient in a variety of regional dishes and as a common part in modern field rations of various armed forces around the world.
==History== Although the exact origin of corned beef is unknown, it most likely came about when people began preserving meat through salt-curing. Evidence of its legacy is apparent in numerous cultures, including ancient Europe and the Middle East.<ref name=ofc/> The word ''corn'' derives from Old English and is used to describe any small, hard particles or grains.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Corn, n.1 |publisher=Oxford University Press |journal=Oxford English Dictionary |year=2010}} "A small hard particle, a grain, as of sand or salt."</ref> In the case of ''corned beef'', the word may refer to the coarse, granular salts used to cure the beef.<ref name=ofc>{{Cite book |title=On Food and Cooking: The Science and lore of the Kitchen |first=Harold |last=McGee |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-684-80001-1}}</ref> The word "corned" may also refer to the corns of potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, which were formerly used to preserve the meat.<ref>{{cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/textbookofinorga00norrrich | title = A Textbook of Inorganic Chemistry for Colleges | last = Norris | first = James F. | publisher = McGraw-Hill | location = New York | year = 1921 | page = [https://archive.org/details/textbookofinorga00norrrich/page/528 528] | oclc = 2743191 | quote = Potassium nitrate is used in the manufacture of gunpowder ... It is also used in curing meats; it prevents putrefaction and produces the deep red color familiar in the case of salted hams and corned beef.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9kIlAQAAIAAJ&q=gunpowder+corned+beef&pg=PA249 | title = Every Day Foods That Injure Health | last = Theiss | first = Lewis Edwin | journal = Pearson's Magazine | volume = 25 | publisher = Pearson Pub. Co. | location = New York | date = January 1911 | page = 249 | quote = you have probably noticed how nice and red corned beef is. That's because it has in it saltpeter, the same stuff that is used in making gunpowder.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/essentialschemi01smitgoog | title = Essentials of Chemistry | last1 = Hessler |first1= John C. | last2 = Smith |first2=Albert L. | publisher = Benj. H. Sanborn & Co. | location = Boston | year = 1902 | page = [https://archive.org/details/essentialschemi01smitgoog/page/n184 158] | quote = The chief use of potassium nitrate as a preservative is in the preparation of 'corned' beef.}}</ref>
===Pre-20th century=== [[File:Libby McNeill & Libby Corned Beef 1898.jpg|thumb|An 1898 illustration of a tin of corned beef produced by Libby's]] [[File:Mmm... corned beef on rye with a side of kraut (7711551990).jpg|thumb|right|A corned beef sandwich served in a diner]]
Although the practice of curing beef existed across the globe since the period of classical antiquity, the industrial production of corned beef started in the British Isles during the British Agricultural Revolution. Corned beef sourced from cattle reared in Ireland and Scotland was used extensively for civilian and military consumption throughout the British Empire beginning from the 17th century onwards due to its non-perishable nature.<ref name="auto"/> Irish and Scottish corned beef was also sold to the French West Indies, where it was used to feed both settlers and slaves.<ref name=mandel>{{cite journal |doi=10.1093/hwj/dbm028 |last=Mandelblatt |first=Bertie |year=2007 |title=A Transatlantic Commodity: Irish Salt Beef in the French Atlantic World |journal=History Workshop Journal |volume=63 |issue=1 |pages=18–47 |jstor=25472901|s2cid=140660191 |doi-access= }}</ref> Industrial processes in the British Isles for producing corned beef during the 17th century did not distinguish different cuts of beef beyond the tough and undesirable parts of the cow such as the beef shank and neck.<ref name=mandel/><ref name=irish/> Instead, the grading was done by sorting all cuts of beef by weight into "small beef", "cargo beef" and "best mess beef", with the first being considered the worst and the last the best.<ref name=mandel/> "Small beef" and "cargo beef" cuts were most commonly traded to the French, while "best mess beef" were frequently intended for sale and consumption in markets throughout the British Empire.<ref name=mandel/>
Ireland produced a significant portion of corned beef consumed in the British Empire during the early modern period, using cattle reared locally and salt imported from the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.<ref name=mandel/> Irish port cities, such as Dublin, Belfast and Cork, became home to large-scale beef curing and packing industries, with Cork alone producing half of Ireland's annual beef exports in 1668.<ref name=irish>{{cite journal |title=Irish Corned Beef: A Culinary History |year=2011 |first1=Máirtín |last1=Mac Con Iomaire |first2=Pádraic |last2=Óg Gallagher |journal=Journal of Culinary Science and Technology |volume=9 |issue=1 |pages=27–43 |doi=10.1080/15428052.2011.558464|s2cid=216138899 |url=https://arrow.dit.ie/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=tfschafart|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Although the consumption of corned beef carried no significant negative connotations in Europe, in European colonies in the Americas it was frequently looked upon with disdain due to being primarily consumed by poor people and slaves.<ref name=mandel/> American social theorist Jeremy Rifkin noted the sociopolitical effect of corned beef in the British Isles during the early modern period in his 1992 book ''Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture'':
{{Blockquote|The British enclosure movement had displaced thousands of rural English families, creating a cheap new labour pool to fill the unskilled jobs in the industrial factories of London, Leeds, Manchester, and Bristol. Shortages of foodstuffs and rising prices were fueling discontent among the new working class and middle class of the cities, threatening open rebellion. British officials and entrepreneurs quieted the masses with Scottish and Irish beef. Historians of the period point out that were it not for the Celtic pasturelands of Scotland and Ireland, it might well have proved impossible to quell the growing unrest of the British working class during the critical decades of British industrial expansion.<ref>{{cite book| last = Rifkin | first = Jeremy | title = Beyond Beef: The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture | publisher = Plume | date = March 1, 1993 | pages = 56, 57 | isbn = 978-0-452-26952-1}}</ref>}}
Despite being a major producer of corned beef, the majority of the Irish population during this period, native tenant farmers, consumed relatively little meat in their diets. This was due to a variety of factors, including the high costs of buying meat in Ireland and the ownership of the majority of Irish farms by Anglo-Irish landowners, who marked most of the corned beef produced using their cattle for export. The level of meat, including corned beef, present in the Irish diet of the period decreased in areas away from major centres for corned beef production, such as Northern Ireland, while increasing in areas such as County Cork. The majority of meat consumed by working-class Irish Catholics consisted of cheap products such as salt pork, with bacon and cabbage quickly becoming one of the most common meals in Irish cuisine.<ref name=irish/>
===20th century to present=== thumb|Label of a can of corned beef produced in Uruguay [[File:Queensland State Archives 2739 Canned meat from Argentine photographed for the Federal Commerce Department c 1946.png|thumb|Canned corned beef produced in Argentina for export to New Zealand, 1946]]
Corned beef became a less important commodity in the 19th century Atlantic world, due in part to the abolition of slavery.<ref name=mandel/> Corned beef production and its canned form remained an important food source during World War II. Much of the canned corned beef was produced by the Frigorífico Anglo in Fray Bentos, Uruguay, with over 16 million cans exported in 1943.<ref name=irish/> Today significant amounts of the global canned corned beef supply comes from South America. Approximately 80% of the global canned corned beef supply originates in Brazil.<ref>{{cite web|first=Rafael|last=Palmeiras|title=Carne enlatada brasileira representa 80% do consumo mundial|url=http://brasileconomico.ig.com.br/ultimas-noticias/carne-enlatada-brasileira-representa-80-do-consumo-mundial_106632.html|website=Brasil Econômico|date=September 9, 2011|access-date=May 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518092955/http://brasileconomico.ig.com.br/ultimas-noticias/carne-enlatada-brasileira-representa-80-do-consumo-mundial_106632.html|archive-date=May 18, 2015}}</ref>
== Nutrition and health effects == {{Main|Red meat|Processed meat}}
Corned beef is a type of processed red meat. Red meat is a good source of protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, and B12.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Meinilä |first=Jelena |last2=Virtanen |first2=Jyrki K. |date=2024-02-21 |title=Meat and meat products – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 |url=https://foodandnutritionresearch.net/index.php/fnr/article/view/10538 |journal=Food & Nutrition Research |language=en |doi=10.29219/fnr.v68.10538 |issn=1654-661X |pmc=10916397 |pmid=38449706}}</ref> According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), processed meat causes cancer, particularly colorectal cancer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=26 October 2015 |title=Cancer: Carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/cancer-carcinogenicity-of-the-consumption-of-red-meat-and-processed-meat |access-date=2025-09-23 |website=World Health Organization |language=en}}</ref> Strong evidence also links processed meat with higher risks of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.<ref name=":6">{{Cite journal |last=Libera |first=Justyna |last2=Iłowiecka |first2=Katarzyna |last3=Stasiak |first3=Dariusz |date=December 2021 |title=Consumption of processed red meat and its impact on human health: A review |url=https://academic.oup.com/ijfst/article/56/12/6115/7806301 |journal=International Journal of Food Science & Technology |language=en |volume=56 |issue=12 |pages=6115–6123 |doi=10.1111/ijfs.15270 |issn=0950-5423|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The World Cancer Research Fund recommends minimizing consumption of processed meats.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Limit consumption of red and processed meat: Recommendation evidence |url=https://www.wcrf.org/research-policy/evidence-for-our-recommendations/limit-red-processed-meat/ |access-date=2025-09-24 |website=World Cancer Research Fund |language=en-GB}}</ref>
==Cultural associations== In North America, corned beef dishes are associated with traditional Irish cuisine, particularly on Saint Patrick's Day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.delish.com/food/a38939/history-corned-beef-st-patricks-day-foods/|title = The History Behind All Your Favorite St. Patrick's Day Foods|date = February 27, 2019}}</ref>
Mark Kurlansky, in his book ''Salt'', states that the Irish produced a salted beef around the Middle Ages that was the "forerunner of what today is known as Irish corned beef" and in the 17th century, the English named the Irish salted beef "corned beef".<ref>{{cite book |last=Kurlansky |first=Mark |title=Salt: A World History |year=2002 |publisher=Penguin |location=New York |isbn=978-0-14-200161-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/saltworldhistory00kurl_0/page/124 124–127] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/saltworldhistory00kurl_0/page/124}}</ref>
Before the wave of 19th century Irish immigration to the United States, many ethnic Irish immigrants did not consume corned beef dishes. The popularity of corned beef compared to back bacon among the Irish immigrant population may have been due to corned beef being considered a luxury product in their native land, while it was cheap and readily available in the United States.<ref name=irish/>
The Jewish population produced similar corned beef brisket, also smoking it into pastrami. Irish immigrants often purchased corned beef from Jewish butchers.<ref name=irish/><ref name=brown>{{Cite journal |title=Pickled Pink |first=Alton |last=Brown |journal=Good Eats |publisher=Food network |volume=10 |issue=18 |year=2007}}</ref>
Canned corned beef has long been one of the standard meals included in military field ration packs globally, due to its simplicity and instant preparation. One example is the American Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) pack. Astronaut John Young sneaked a contraband corned beef sandwich on board Gemini 3, hiding it in a pocket of his spacesuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/time-when-astronaut-smuggled-corned-beef-sandwich-space-180954749/|title=That Time an Astronaut Smuggled a Corned Beef Sandwich To Space|first=Marissa|last=Fessenden|website=Smithsonian.com|date=March 25, 2015}}</ref>
==Regions==
=== Ireland === thumb|Corned beef dinner, with potatoes and cabbage, Ireland
The appearance of corned beef in Irish cuisine dates to the 12th century in the poem ''Aislinge Meic Con Glinne'' or ''The Vision of MacConglinne''.<ref>{{cite web| title = Aislinge Meic Con Glinne | publisher = The University College Cork Ireland | url = http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T308002/text001.html}}</ref> Within the text, it is described as a delicacy a king uses to purge himself of the "demon of gluttony". Cattle, valued as a bartering tool, were only eaten when no longer able to provide milk or to work. The corned beef as described in this text was a rare and valued dish, given the value and position of cattle within the culture, as well as the expense of salt, and was unrelated to the corned beef eaten today.<ref name="europeancuisines1">{{cite web| title = Ireland: Why We Have No Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipes | publisher = European Cuisines | url = http://www.europeancuisines.com/Why-We-Have-No-Corned-Beef-Recipes}}</ref>
=== United Kingdom === In the British military, corned beef has been historically served finely minced and canned in the form of '''bully beef'''. The name is taken from the dish soup and bouilli; as the dish was stored canned on merchant ships and in the Royal Navy over the 19th century, sailors called the meat portion bully beef and extended the expression to all canned meats.<ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082289335&view=1up&seq=607&q1=%22soup%20and%20bully%22 "A Narrow Escape"], ''Routledge's Every Boy's Annual'', 1866, page 543</ref><ref>[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015011554733&view=1up&seq=136&q1=bully ''The Sailor's Word-book''], Admiral W. H. Smyth, 1867</ref> This would include corned beef, as by 1862 "very good corned beef" – in the opinion of Lord Clarence Paget – had replaced "old mahogany" on naval ships.<ref>The Naval Estimates, ''Morning Post'', 25 February 1862</ref> English soldiers also used the term "bully beef" for their tinned meat ration, with corned beef becoming a staple of military rations by the Ashanti War of 1873–1874.<ref>"Camp at Inquabim", ''Morning Post'', 29 January 1874</ref><ref>"The Ashantee War", ''Western Daily Press'', 9 December 1873</ref>
During the Anglo-Zulu War, corned beef was being used extensively with over 500 tons being sent to South Africa in six months.<ref>''Freeman's Journal'', 15 July 1879</ref> During the Battle of Isandlwana, British troops reportedly discarded thousands of tins of bully beef into the Buffalo river to lighten their retreat.<ref>Simon Potter, ''British Imperial History'' (2017). Bloomsbury_Publishing</ref>
In 1875, Arthur Libby and W. J. Wilson had obtained a patent for a rectangular can with tapered sides allowing the can's contents "to slide out in one piece, so as to be readily sliced as desired".<ref>Letters Patent No. 161,848, dated 6 April 1875: Reissue no. 7923 dated 15 October 1877. United States Patent Office</ref> The meat was precooked to reduce shrinkage and, as described in another patent, packed into the can under pressure "to remove the air and all superfluous moisture",<ref>Letters Patent No. 149,276, dated 31 March 1874: Reissue no. 6370 dated 6 April 1875. United States Patent Office</ref> hence the compressed corned beef description on the label. The patents were declared void in 1881<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=Y-1CAQAAMAAJ Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents for the Year 1882, pages 578 and 579]</ref> when prior art was shown to exist, allowing other packing houses to produce similar cans.thumb|Canned British Army bully beefAround the time of the Second Boer War and World War I bully beef began being packaged in rectangular key-open cans. It was reported that in 1879 over 4,400 tons of preserved beef had been exported to England by Libby, McNeil and Libby, with over 260 tons sent to the troops in South Africa.<ref>"Our Food Supply", ''Morning Post'', 1 August 1879</ref>
Bully beef would serve as the main field ration of the British Army from at least the South African War up until World War II.<ref name="aussie">{{cite web |url=http://www.taste.com.au/articles/bully-beef-part-of-australian-history/KYnke1FI|title=Bully beef: Part of Australian history|date=20 April 2015|work=Taste Magazine|access-date=24 July 2017|quote=A hundred years ago our soldiers at Gallipoli knew it as bully beef. It came in cans.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/changingTheWorld/page3-2.shtml|title=Exhibitions : Changing the World : Fascinating Facts – Page 2|publisher=National Army Museum|date=|accessdate=10 October 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061001183739/http://www.national-army-museum.ac.uk/exhibitions/changingTheWorld/page3-2.shtml|archivedate=1 October 2006}}</ref> In February 2009, the British Defence Equipment and Support announced that they would be phasing out bully beef from ration packs as part of the introduction of the new Multi-Climate Ration Packs; this change was later reversed due to mass backlash.<ref name="harding">{{cite news |last=Harding|first=Thomas|title=Army says goodbye to bully beef|newspaper=The Telegraph|location=U.K.|pages=|date=5 February 2009|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/onthefrontline/4527915/Army-says-goodbye-to-bully-beef.html|access-date=16 December 2020}}</ref>
=== United States and Canada === In the United States and Canada, corned beef is typically available in two forms: a cut of beef (usually brisket, but sometimes round or silverside) cured or pickled in a seasoned brine, or cooked and canned. In both the United States and Canada, corned beef is sold in cans in minced form.
Corned beef hashed with potatoes served with eggs is a common breakfast dish in the United States of America.
Corned beef is often purchased ready to eat in Jewish delicatessens. It is the key ingredient in the grilled Reuben sandwich, consisting of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island or Russian dressing on rye bread. Smoking corned beef, typically with a generally similar spice mix, produces smoked meat (or "smoked beef") such as pastrami or Montreal-style smoked meat.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, corned beef is sold in buckets of brine and known specifically as "salt beef". It is a staple product culturally in Newfoundland and Labrador, providing a source of meat during their long winters. It is commonly eaten in Newfoundland and Labrador as part of the local Jiggs dinner.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jiggs’ Dinner for Beginners - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |url=https://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/trip-ideas/travel-stories/jiggs-dinner-for-beginners |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=www.newfoundlandlabrador.com |language=en}}</ref> It has been used in different meals locally, such as a Jiggs dinner poutine dish.
==== Saint Patrick's Day ==== thumb|upright|Corned beef and cabbageIn the United States, consumption of corned beef is often associated with Saint Patrick's Day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.europeancuisines.com/Why-We-Have-No-Corned-Beef-Recipes |title=Is corned beef and cabbage an Irish dish? No! Find out why... |publisher=European Cuisines |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref> Corned beef is not an Irish national dish, and the connection with Saint Patrick's Day specifically originates as part of Irish-American culture, and is often part of their celebrations in North America.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lam |first=Francis |url=http://www.salon.com/food/francis_lam/2010/03/16/st_patricks_day_corned_beef_and_cabbage_irish |title=St. Patrick's Day controversy: Is corned beef and cabbage Irish? |work=Salon.com |date=March 17, 2010 |access-date=August 29, 2010}}</ref>
Corned beef was used as a substitute for bacon by Irish immigrants in the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day-symbols-and-traditions|title=St. Patrick's Day Traditions|website=history.com |date=October 27, 2009 }}</ref> Corned beef and cabbage is the Irish-American variant of the Irish dish of bacon and cabbage. A similar dish is the New England boiled dinner, consisting of corned beef, cabbage, and root vegetables such as carrots, turnips, and potatoes, which is popular in New England and another similar dish, Jiggs dinner, is popular in parts of Atlantic Canada.
=== Caribbean === Multiple Caribbean nations have their own varied versions of canned corned beef as a dish, common in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Barbados, and elsewhere.
In Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States, canned corned beef was a cheap alternative for the working class. Typically the dish consisting of sofrito, plantains, potatoes, and or canned corn was considered a "struggle meal" but with the recent rise in beef prices the dish is gaining popularity especially in areas with large Puerto Rican diaspora communities. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/246392/puerto-rican-canned-corned-beef-stew/|title = Puerto Rican Canned Corned Beef Stew}}</ref>
=== Uruguay === Production of corned beef began in Fray Bentos in 1873, sold to Britain under the name ''Fray Bentos''. In 1943 alone, 16 million tins of corned beef were shipped out from Fray Bentos, the vast majority used to power the Allied war effort.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Meghji |first=Shafik |title=How a Uruguayan town revolutionised the way we eat |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20190106-how-a-uruguayan-town-revolutionised-the-way-we-eat |access-date=2026-05-24 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en}}</ref> It is not commonly consumed domestically though.<ref name=":1" /> ===Israel=== In Israel, a canned corned beef called ''Loof'' ({{interlanguage link|לוף|he}}) was the traditional field ration of the Israel Defense Forces until the product's discontinuation in 2011. The name ''Loof'' derives from "a colloquially corrupt short form of 'meatloaf.'"<ref name="IDF_ref1">{{cite news|url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/63530/as-idf-bids-adieu-to-loof-a-history-of-kosher-spam |title=As IDF bids adieu to Loof, a history of 'kosher Spam' |first=Adam |last=Soclof |newspaper=J |date=November 23, 2011}}</ref> ''Loof'' was developed by the IDF in the late 1940s as a kosher form of bully beef, while similar canned meats had earlier been an important component of relief packages sent to Europe and Palestine by Jewish organizations such as Hadassah.<ref name="IDF_ref1" />
=== Polynesia === {{See also|Lūʻau (food)}}
In Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, colonialism by western powers brought with them something that would change Polynesian diets—canned goods, including the highly prized corned beef. Natural disasters brought in food aid from New Zealand, Australia, and the US, then world wars in the mid-20th century, foreign foods became a bigger part of daily diets while retaining ancestral foods like taro and coconuts.<ref name="bttf">{{cite book |last=Hillyer |first=Garrett |title=Back to the Future' for Samoan Food |chapter='Back to the Future' for Samoan Food |url=https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/foodstudies/chapter/food-in-samoa/ |via=eCampusOntario PressBooks|date=2022 |doi=10.22215/fsmmm/hg21 |isbn=978-1-7780603-1-1 }}</ref> Both wet salt-brined beef and canned corned beef are differentiated. In Samoa, brined {{lang|sm|povi masima}} ({{lit|salted beef}}) or canned {{lang|sm|pīsupo}} (lit. "pea soup", general term for canned foods). In Tonga, corned (wet brine) {{lang|to|masima}} or canned meats {{lang|to|kapa}} are typical.
=== China === Pingyao beef (平遥牛肉) a specialty from Shanxi, dates back to the Ming dynasty. The beef is dry-rubbed with salt, then slowly braised. It became a tribute item to the imperial court during the Qing dynasty and remains a protected geographical indication product.
Corned beef has also become a common dish in Hong Kong cuisine, though it has been heavily adapted in style and preparation to fit local tastes. It is often served with other "Western" fusion cuisine at cha chaan teng and other cheap restaurants catering to locals.
=== Philippines === [[File:Tortang carne norte (Corned beef omelet) - Philippines 03.jpg|thumb|''Tortang carne norte'', a corned beef omelet from the Philippines]]
Along with other canned meats, canned corned beef is a popular breakfast staple in the Philippines.<ref name="IDF_ref3"/><ref name="IDF_ref2"/> Corned beef is also known as ''carne norte'' (alternative spelling: ''karne norte'') locally, literally translating to "northern meat" in Spanish; the term refers to Americans, whom Filipinos referred then as norteamericanos, just like the rest of Spain's colonies, where there is a differentiation between what is norteamericano (Canadian, American, Mexicano), what is centroamericano (Nicaraguense, Costarricense et al.), and what is sudamericano (Colombiano, Equatoriano, Paraguayo, et al.). The colonial mindset distinction then of what was norteamericano was countries north of the Viceroy's Road (''Camino de Virreyes''), the route used to transport goods from the Manila Galleon landing in the port of Acapulco overland for Havana via the port of Veracruz (and not the Rio Grande river in Texas today), thus centroamericano meant the other Spanish possessions south of Mexico City.
[[File:Sopas, Filipino noodle soup dish.jpg|left|thumb|Filipino ''sopas'' (macaroni soup) with corned beef]]
Corned beef, especially the Libby's brand, first became popular during the American colonial period of the Philippines (1901–1941) among the wealthy as a luxury food; they were advertised serving the corned beef cold and straight-from-the-can on to a bed of rice, or as patties in between bread. During World War II (1942–1945), American soldiers brought for themselves, and airdropped from the skies the same corned beef; it was a life-or-death commodity since the Japanese Imperial Army forcibly controlled all food in an effort to subvert any resistance against them.
[[File:Carne norte guisado (Corned beef guisado) - Philippines 02.jpg|thumb|''Carne norte guisado'' of the Philippines with potatoes, onions, garlic, carrots, and tomatoes; it is eaten with white rice or bread.]]
After the war (1946 to present), corned beef gained far more popularity. It remains a staple in ''balikbayan'' boxes and on Filipino breakfast tables. The ordinary Filipino can afford them, and many brands have sprung up, including those manufactured by Century Pacific Food, CDO Foodsphere and San Miguel Food and Beverage, which are wholly owned by Filipinos and locally manufactured.<ref name="IDF_ref3">{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/palm-corned-beef-is-my-favorite-part-of-filipino-breakfast/ |title=Palm Corned Beef is My Favorite Part of Filipino Breakfast |first=Bettina |last=Makalintal |website=vice.com |date=January 4, 2019}}</ref><ref name="IDF_ref2">{{cite web |url=https://cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2017/12/29/why-corned-beef-isnt-just-for-breakfast.html |title=Why corned beef isn't just for breakfast |website=cnnphilippines.com |date=January 26, 2018 |access-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324064208/https://cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2017/12/29/why-corned-beef-isnt-just-for-breakfast.html }}</ref>
Philippine corned beef is typically made from shredded beef or buffalo meat, and is almost exclusively sold in cans. It is boiled, shredded, canned, and sold in supermarkets and grocery stores for mass consumption. It is usually served as the breakfast combination called "corned beef ''silog''", in which corned beef is cooked as ''carne norte guisado'' (fried, mixed with onions, garlic, and often, finely cubed potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, and/or cabbage), with a side of ''sinangag'' (garlic fried rice), and a fried egg.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Manalo |first1=Lalaine |title=Ginisang Corned Beef |url=https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/ginisang-corned-beef/ |website=Kawaling Pinoy |date=August 14, 2021 |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref name="IDF_ref3"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Corned Beef with Potato |url=https://www.casabaluartefilipinorecipes.com/2020/07/corned-beef-with-potato.html |website=Casa Baluarte Filipino Recipes |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref> Another common way to eat corned beef is ''tortang carne norte'' (or corned beef omelet), in which corned beef is mixed with egg and fried.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tortang Carne Norte Tortang Carne Norte |url=https://www.overseaspinoycooking.net/2007/08/tortang-carne-norte.html |website=Overseas Pinoy Cooking |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Corned Beef Omelet |url=https://panlasangpinoy.com/tortang-corned-beef-omelet/ |website=Panlasang Pinoy |date=February 9, 2020 |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref> Corned beef is also used as a cheap meat ingredient in dishes like ''sopas'' and ''sinigang''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sinigang na Corned Beef Recipe |url=https://whattoeatph.com/sinigang-na-corned-beef-recipe/ |website=What To Eat Philippines |date=September 12, 2021 |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sinigang na Corned Beef |url=https://www.angsarap.net/2014/08/04/sinigang-na-corned-beef/ |website=Ang Sarap |date=August 4, 2014 |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Angeles |first1=Mira |title=Sopas with Corned Beef Recipe |url=https://www.yummy.ph/recipe/sopas-with-corned-beef-recipe-a394-20210321 |website=Yummy.ph |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Food}} * Cured fish * Curing salt * {{Annotated link|Potted meat}}
== References == {{reflist|30em}}
{{Beef}} {{Meat|state=expanded}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corned Beef}} Category:American beef dishes Category:Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine Category:Australian cuisine Category:Bahamian cuisine Category:Barbadian cuisine Category:Beef Category:British beef dishes Category:Caribbean cuisine Category:Cuisine of New York City Category:Filipino cuisine Category:Hong Kong cuisine Category:Irish meat dishes Category:Jamaican cuisine Category:New Zealand cuisine Category:Polish cuisine Category:Puerto Rican cuisine Category:Salted foods Category:Trinidad and Tobago cuisine