Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
FACTS ABOUT THE FAMOUS CORNISH PASTY
There’s not a Cornish person on the planet who isn’t exceptionally proud of their heritage, and that means the renowned Cornish pasty too. The pasty is intrinsically linked with Cornish heritage, as they were originally created and enjoyed by Cornish miners.
Pasties in the States
Miners exported the idea of the Cornish pasty over with them to the United States of America, and even today, you can find lots of Cornish pasty shops in the mining towns of Michigan.
Crimp Difference
A Cornish pasty has the crimp on the side, whereas our Devonshire neighbours crimp theirs on the top.
Pasty in a Play
Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, first performed in 1600, contains the line: “Come! We have a hot pasty to dinner”.
Protection from the Devil
As legend would have it, the Devil wouldn’t dare attempt to venture across the River Tamar into Cornwall, for the fear of being put in a Cornish pasty as the filling.
Discarding the Crust
Originally, tin miners used the crimp you find on Cornish pasties as a makeshift ‘handle’ which they would then throw away. They had to discard the crust due to the fact that their fingers were contaminated with arsenic dust.
Introduction to Mexico
Drilling experts from Cornwall took the Cornish pasty with them to the silver mines of Mexico. You can now find a museum telling the story of this fact. During the same period, these miners introduced Association Football, or traditional football as we know it, to Latin America for the very first time.
Personalised Pasties
Arguably the cutest of all the facts, a miner’s wife would carve her husband’s initials in his Cornish pasty so that he was able to distinguish his from all the others.
Oggy, Oggy, Oggy
In the Cornish language, a Cornish pasty is known as an ‘Oggy’. When the Cornish pasties were finished cooking and ready to be eaten, the wives would head over to the mineshaft and shout down: “Oggy, oggy, oggy!”, and the men would shout back: “Oi, oi, oi!” to let them know they were on the way.
Remember, a pasty can only be considered a ‘Cornish’ pasty if it was created in Cornwall! So, if you fancy one of these tasty treats, then you’ll need to pay a visit!
And as always have a chilled day from the Viking
No finer food in the world. I was treated to my own pasty by three generations of Cornish ladies. The quality upped with each generation until the sublime granny’s pasty. All had my initial as an extra piece of pastry (not carved into the top). Sadly granny was already married.
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