A method of food preservation using large-grained salt (corns of salt) to cure meat, particularly beef.
From 'corn' in its older sense meaning grain or small hard particle, from Old English 'corn'. The 'corns' refer to the coarse salt crystals used in the curing process, not the vegetable corn. This preservation method dates back centuries before refrigeration.
Corned beef has nothing to do with corn the vegetable - it's named for the 'corns' or large crystals of salt used to preserve it. This process was so important for long sea voyages that it became a cornerstone of global trade, feeding sailors and creating cultural food traditions from Ireland to the Caribbean.
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