The most popular dish in Ireland is something Americans have probably never even tried before.

This week we spoke with Emmet Woods, the owner of Mahoney's Irish Pub in Poughkeepsie. Mahoney's is famous for their authentic Irish food including bangers and mash, shepherd's pie and corned beef and cabbage.

One dish you won't find on Mahoney's menu, however, is the most popular dish in Ireland; boiled bacon and cabbage. Woods tells us the dish has been passed down through generations, becoming a staple in Irish cuisine. Many farmers in Ireland raise their own hogs so slabs of bacon have always been readily available. Boiled and served with cabbage, this meal has been enjoyed for centuries.

After immigrating to the states, many Irish people found that bacon was much more expensive, so the recipe was tweaked and corned beef was substituted for bacon. This gave way to what we know as corned beef and cabbage, a dish that, curiously, is not widely know in Ireland.

If you'd like to try some of the many other Irish foods for yourself, make sure you're at this year's Paddy on the River event at Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie on March 11. Emmet will be on hand cooking his authentic dishes to order. There will also be traditional Irish music and plenty of beer.

Tickets are available right now or at the door on Saturday.

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