Where does the 'Cornish' pasty originate from

Last Updated: 23/10/2015 12:15:10 Author: Melanie Hollidge Tags: Cornish Pasty
In 2006 Devon and Cornwall, both pasty selling counties waged war with each other, as sales in Devonshire’s pasties outnumbered those sold in Cornwall. It might sound a bit far fetched but immediately a Cornish Historian retaliated by stating that cave paintings dating back from 8,000 BC showed people eating pasties in Cornwall. We are all familiar with the old tale of Cornish men taking them down for lunch in tin mines, with one end filled with meat and the other with fruit.
However in this latest twist to the pasty trail, Brears has said that not only does the term ‘Cornish pasty’ come from London it is also a middle-class meal as they were the only people who could afford to fill them with meat – he states it was a way of the middle-classes using up the end of joint of meat. He states that the term ‘Cornish’ was introduced into the name as recently as the 19th Century.
Speaking to the BBC, Brears said: “These are the first Cornish pasties to be published with the title as ‘Cornish pasties’. They are only a couple of inches long. But [they are] unlike most of the original Cornish pasties from Cornwall, which didn’t contain meat, because people couldn’t afford it.”
If you would like to have a go at making one of these delicious meat pasties then here is a recipe we found on the BBC Good food website.
You will need the following ingredients:
For the pastry
125g chilled and diced butter
125g lard
500g plain flour, plus extra
1 egg, beaten
For the filling
350g beef skirt or chuck steak, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
175g swedes, peeled, finely diced
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
For the method please follow this link: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7776/cornish-pasties