Hoggan facts for kids

A Hoggan or Hogen was a special kind of flatbread. It was a simple, tough meal eaten by Cornish miners long ago. These miners worked in the 1700s and 1800s. Hoggans often had small pieces of pork and sometimes potato inside.

Miners needed food that could last in the harsh mine conditions. Hoggans were known for being very hard. One mining captain even said they were "hard as street tiles"! This made them perfect for a miner's lunch.

What is a Hoggan?

A true hoggan was a bit different from a pasty. It was made from dough left over after making pasties. This dough was unleavened, meaning it didn't have yeast to make it rise. It was just a simple, flat lump of dough.

Inside, miners would put a small piece of pork. Sometimes, they added a bit of potato too. Hoggans were often made when times were tough. If wheat prices were high, people used cheaper ingredients like barley to make the bread. This showed that hoggans were a meal for when food was scarce.

Sweet Hoggan: Figgy 'Obbin

There was also a sweet version of the hoggan! This was called a fuggan or Figgy 'obbin. It was made with flour and raisins.

The word "Figgy" comes from Cornish dialect. In Cornwall, "fig," "figgie," or "figs" were old words for raisins. So, a Figgy 'obbin was a sweet treat with raisins.

Other Names and Uses

Sometimes, the name "hoggan" was used for a pork pasty. This is where the Cornish words "oggie" or "tiddy oggie" might have come from.

Miners also had a special name for their lunch bag. They called it a Hobban or Hoggan-bag. This was where they carried their tough, filling meals into the mines.