<P> Despite being a major producer of beef, most of the people of Ireland during this period consumed little of the meat produced, in either fresh or salted form, due to its prohibitive cost . This was because most of the farms and its produce were owned by wealthy Anglo - Irish who were absentee landlords and that most of the population were from families of poor tenant farmers, and that most of the corned beef was exported . </P> <P> The lack of beef or corned beef in the Irish diet is especially true in the north of Ireland and areas away from the major centres for corned beef production . However, individuals living in these production centres such as Cork did consume the product to a certain extent . The majority of Irish who resided in Ireland at the time mainly consumed dairy products and meats such as pork or salt pork, bacon and cabbage being a notable example of a traditional Irish snack . </P> <P> Corned beef became a less important commodity in 19th - century Atlantic trade, due in part to the abolition of slavery, but corned beef production and its canned form remained an important food source during the Second World War . Much of the canned corned beef came from Fray Bentos in Uruguay, with over 16 million cans exported in 1943 . Even now, significant amounts of the global canned corned beef supply comes from South America . Today, around 80% of the global canned corned beef supply originates from Brazil . </P> <P> In North America, corned beef dishes are associated with traditional Irish cuisine . However, considerable debate remains about the association of corned beef with Ireland . 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". </P>

What kind of meat is corned beef hash