What's in a Name, Corned Beef

There is no corn in corned beef. Corned beef and cabbage, a staple for Irish and other Americans, does not have anything to do with the grain corn. It is due to the large grains of salt that were historically used to cure meats. They were known as corns.

What's in a Name, Corned Beef

The term 'corned beef' refers to the 'corns' of salt used to preserve the meat. Meat is treated with large grains of salt (corns) in a process known as salt-curing. Corn is used to describe any small hard particles or grains, in this case, salt. That is why corned beef tastes salty. The salt draws water out of the meat via osmosis, making it more difficult for microorganisms to breed in the meat.