Cornish Pasty

A pasty is a Cornish baked pastry, a traditional variety of which is particularly associated with Cornwall, but has spread all over the British Isles.

It is made by placing an uncooked filling, typically meat and vegetables, in the middle of a flat shortcrust pastry circle, bringing the edges together in the middle, and crimping over the top to form a seal before baking.

The traditional Cornish pasty, which since 2011 has had Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status in Europe, is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (also known as yellow turnip or rutabaga – referred to in Cornwall) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and baked.

It is a traditional dish and accounts for 6% of the Cornish food economy.

Pasties with many different fillings are made, and some shops specialise in selling pasties.

The origins of the pasty are unclear, though there are many references to them throughout historical documents and fiction.

 The pasty is now popular worldwide because of the spread of Cornish miners and sailors from across Cornwall, and variations can be found in Australia, Mexico, the United States, Ulster and elsewhere.