Is It Stupid to Codify Cornish Pasties?

Published on Thursday, February 24, 2011, by James Norton / Edit Post

It's one of the more entertaining British food point-counterpoints in quite some time: The BBC hails the Cornish pasty and its new, European Commission–granted protected status, while the Telegraph asks, "What's the point of protecting Cornish pasties?"

Pasties (pronounced PASS-tees)—not to be confused with pasties (PASTE-ees)—are durable, highly caloric meat pies that traditionally served as lunch for Cornish miners (Midwesterners know them well—they made their way into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Wisconsin, and Minnesota's Iron Range via Cornish mine foremen working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries).

The BBC reports: "From mid-March, only those pasties produced in Cornwall can be called Cornish. An authentic example should have a distinctive 'D' shape and be crimped, or folded into a rope-like pattern, on one side—never on top. ... The rules also state that the filling needs to be 'chunky,' made up of 'mince or chunks of beef with swede [rutabaga], potato and onion and a light seasoning.' This is then wrapped in pastry glazed with milk or egg, and then slow-baked."

The Telegraph responds: "On the rare occasions I've attempted to eat one, generally rather the worse for wear at a service station ... I have always regretted it. All that pastry, heavy meat, swede and onion sits in your stomach like a, well, like a Cornish pasty."

And, of course, the commenters got fired up, pointing out that service station pasties are not really state of the art, and noting, piquantly: "To be so patronising and condescending about it says more about your view of Cornwall and its people and our heritage than it does about the pasty."

Image source: Flickr member joyosity under Creative Commons

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  • You're quite right, stilldontknow; service stations will of course continue to sell cheap and nasty pasties, but they wouldn't be able to associate them with the Cornish name. I wonder if they will ever codify Melton Mowbray pork pies? I've tried so many versions of them, and I think they're great, although maybe not when you're on a diet, yet I'm not really sure what distinguishes a MM from a...+READ

    You're quite right, stilldontknow; service stations will of course continue to sell cheap and nasty pasties, but they wouldn't be able to associate them with the Cornish name. I wonder if they will ever codify Melton Mowbray pork pies? I've tried so many versions of them, and I think they're great, although maybe not when you're on a diet, yet I'm not really sure what distinguishes a MM from a regular pork pie...-COLLAPSE

  • I am from "Grass Vally, California"...all my family have made pasties for years...all from an origial Cornish recipe. My mothers side of the family were all born in Cornwall or Grass Vally.....and no where in town were they ever served in a filling station...but they were served everywhere else....even on the schools lunch menues...a favorite of most kids..

  • Service stations may not be the best place to buy a pastie. I think Cornwall is the best place. ;-)
    Of course, I once had the world's best Samosa at West Ealing tube station.

  • what about the jam at one end? Surely that is authentic? Would Corn-ish be acceptable for filling station offerings?

  • Swede = rutabaga.

  • a swede is a cross between a turnip and cabbage

  • It's like the whole fizzy wine that tastes exactly the same if not better can't be called Champagne thing - honestly the best pasties I had were just over the border in Devon. Make of that what you will.

  • Having spent time in Michigan's UP while growing up, I have fond memories of pasties. Our neighbor actually owned a pasty shop, so we would have them quite often. I remember sitting in the car by Lake Superior with my dad, eating pasties while watching storms roll in off the lake. I have found a couple places online that will ship them to me frozen, but the cost is more than I care to spend...+READ

    Having spent time in Michigan's UP while growing up, I have fond memories of pasties. Our neighbor actually owned a pasty shop, so we would have them quite often. I remember sitting in the car by Lake Superior with my dad, eating pasties while watching storms roll in off the lake. I have found a couple places online that will ship them to me frozen, but the cost is more than I care to spend (close to $10 per pasty with shipping). One of these days I'll try to make them on my own.-COLLAPSE

  • I'm pretty sure a swede is a turnip.

  • It wont stop them selling them. It'll just stop them calling the horrible things Cornish. Well made paties are lovely.

  • I'm glad these authenticity of these fine snacks is being preserved. This will also stop service stations from selling non-Cornish pasties, which so offended the Telegraph reviewer.