The Protected Status Of The Cornish Pasty - Proper Cornish (2024)

FAQs

The Protected Status Of The Cornish Pasty - Proper Cornish? ›

Since 2011, the Cornish Pasty has enjoyed protected status under Protected Food Names legislation; so only a pasty made to a specific recipe in Cornwall can be called a “Cornish Pasty”. Fake products can no longer devalue the great reputation of genuine Cornish pasties.

Superseding the EU PGI, the new UK PGI framework now provides the legal protection to the name Cornish Pasty and stops inferior products or imitations being passed off as genuine Cornish pasties.

The Mighty Cornish Pasty

There must be at least 12.5% beef and 25% vegetables in the whole pasty. All the ingredients must be uncooked when the pasty is assembled and then slowly baked to develop all that famous Cornish pasty taste and succulence.

Use a firm waxy potato such as Maris Peer or Wilja. A floury potato will disintegrate on cooking. Crimping is one of the secrets to a true Cornish pasty. A good hand crimp is usually a sign of a good handmade pasty.

The PGI status also means that Cornish pasties must be prepared in Cornwall. They do not have to be baked in Cornwall, nor do the ingredients have to come from the county, though the CPA notes that there are strong links between pasty production and local suppliers of the ingredients.

The Regulation applies to certain agricultural products and foods for which there is a link between the characteristics of the product or the food and its geographical origin: they may be wines, cheeses, hams, sausages, olives, beers, fruits, vegetables, breads or animal feed.

In 2011 the Cornish pasty was granted Protected Geographical Indication from the European Union. This means only pasties made in Cornwall can be called a Cornish pasty.

There will always be great debate about the origin of the pasty, but one easy way to detect the Devon pasty from the Cornish is that the Devon pasty has a top-crimp and is oval in shape, whereas the Cornish pasty is semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve.

Last but not least, to be bestowed with the honourable name 'Cornish Pasty', every pasty must be made in the County of Cornwall. Ours are made in St Columb. So Yes, Proper Pasty Company Cornish Pasties are 100% Genuine Cornish Pasties and are approved by the Cornish Pasty Association.

The Oggy!, Oggy!, Oggy! is a traditional shout (which stems from 'hoggan') from the miners' wives or pasty sellers; it is a call to say the pasties are ready. In Cornish slang, Oggy is simply a pasty.

What is the story behind the Cornish pasty? ›

As mining boomed in Cornwall, pasties became a go-to meal for the miners' crib break (a Cornish colloquialism for a mid-morning break): they were an all-in-one meal that could be taken down the mines, particularly if they were so deep that it was impractical for the miners to return to the surface during the day for a ...

But what you might not know is just how many calories are in a Cornish pasty. And how other various food groups, healthy or otherwise, match up to that. Apparently a traditional large pasty from the Cornish Pasty Company contains 774 calories and 45g of fat.

Their hands probably had arsenic on from the mining, so really the crust stopped them from getting poisoned. Hoggan or 'Oggy' is the slang name for a Cornish Pasty. When the wives of the miners arrived, they would shout down the mineshaft 'Oggy!

Since 2011, the Cornish Pasty has enjoyed protected status under Protected Food Names legislation; so only a pasty made to a specific recipe in Cornwall can be called a “Cornish Pasty”.

No debate here: carrots are "sacrilege" as the Cornish Pasty Association points out: the swede adds all the sweetness this dish needs. Older recipes tend to be vague on exact details but potatoes should be waxy, as the CPA makes clear, rather than the floury ones Mark Hix uses, so they keep their shape when cooked.

The Cornish pasty

Pasties went down the mines, across the fields and out to sea. Which is why they have the crimped edges so that the miners could hold onto them (there are no soap and basins down the mines!) The Cornish pasty's name came west of the Tamar, in the county of Cornwall.

There will always be great debate about the origin of the pasty, but one easy way to detect the Devon pasty from the Cornish is that the Devon pasty has a top-crimp and is oval in shape, whereas the Cornish pasty is semi-circular and side-crimped along the curve.

If you freeze your pasties, always defrost them in a refrigerator overnight before consuming or reheating. When reheating, place on a baking tray and pop in a pre-heated oven, gas mark 4, 160°C for approximately 20 minutes. Ensure they are piping hot if reheating.