Cornish cookery facts for kids

Cream tea showing scones topped with jam and clotted cream

A Cornish pasty, a famous Cornish meal.

Cornish cookery is all about the special dishes, traditions, and recipes that come from Cornwall. The food here is super unique because Cornwall is a peninsula, meaning it's surrounded by the sea on three sides. This means lots of fresh fish! Also, its history, especially mining, has shaped many of its most famous foods.

Cornwall's food has influenced, and been influenced by, other British foods. It also shares some tasty similarities with the food from its neighbour, Devon.

Cornish Cookery: A Taste of Cornwall

What Makes Cornish Food Special?

Cornwall's location by the sea means that fish has always been a big part of its diet. The fishing industry has been very important to Cornwall's economy for a long time. This is why you'll find many traditional and modern recipes using fresh seafood.

Another special thing about Cornwall is its land. Much of it is great for raising cows and making milk. A delicious product made from this milk is clotted cream. This is a very thick cream made by cooking it slowly. Clotted cream is used in many local treats, like Cornish fudge and Cornish ice cream. It's also a key part of a Cornish cream tea. Cornish clotted cream is so special that it's protected by law, meaning it can only be made in Cornwall!

The Famous Cornish Pasty

Cornwall is probably most famous for its pasties. A pasty is a savoury baked dish made from pastry. It's like a delicious, portable pie!

What's Inside a Cornish Pasty?

Today, most Cornish pasties are filled with tasty ingredients. These include beef steak, onion, potato, and swede (a type of root vegetable). They are seasoned with salt and white pepper.

Historically, pasties could have many different fillings. Miners used to take pasties down into the mines for their lunch because they were easy to hold and eat. The thick pastry crust even acted like a handle!

What are Oggies?

In Cornwall, people often call pasties by a special local name: oggies. So, if you hear someone ask for an oggy, they're probably talking about a delicious Cornish pasty!