The concept of an entire meal cooked in its own self-contained pastry shell is not unique to any single culture or society. In Russia you can feast on pirogi . . . in India on samosas . . . in Spain on empanadas and in Cornwall on pasties! This little parcel of food is so ubiquitous to Cornwall and its people that it produces over three percent of the County’s gross domestic product. So when the Eden Project in St. Austell, Cornwall, decides to organize the world’s first Cornish Pasty Championship, the interest comes from far beyond the borders of the United Kingdom.

The Eden Project is a research and educational center on sustainable development, built in what was a 200-foot deep, abandoned clay mine. A huge geodesic dome houses large numbers of plants found in tropical rainforests, while another is representative of a Mediterranean environment. There is also a state-of-the-art bakery in the Link between the two domes, and it is here that the Cornish Pasty World Championships take place.

So what is a Cornish pasty? Traditionally, it is an envelope of pastry containing beef, turnips, potatoes, and seasonings, then sealed with a crimped edge, glazed and baked. In 2011, the Cornish Pasty was granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in Europe, putting it on a par with Parma ham and Champagne among others. This means that only those pasties actually made in Cornwall can be called “Cornish” pasties. It also means that the pasty must be filled, shaped and baked to strict specifications.

As we have reported in the past, pasties (known locally as ‘oggies’) were baked by the wives of Cornish miners for their husbands to take down the shafts as their lunch. Since the miners could not wash before eating, the crimp of dough on the side served as the ‘handle,’ keeping them from ingesting the dust on their hands. Legend has it that the uneaten remains were left in the mine as a goodwill gesture for the ‘knockers’ (ghosts of dead miners) who might still be skulking around.

As the Cornish miners emigrated to find work in other parts of the world they took their pasties with them. This is why, today, you can find pasties in Australia, Mexico, and the United States, among others. In many cases, the pasty has been adapted to local tastes.

When word of the Eden Project Cornish Pasty World Championships spreads, bakers in other places, including as far away as Hawaii, decide also to celebrate the pasty by organizing similar events. At the Eden Project, over 100 entries are submitted in four categories. Two (the Cornish pasty Professional Category and the Cornish Pasty Amateur category) are open to those submitting pasties baked in Cornwall, according to the traditional recipe. Another two (the open savoury professional and open savoury amateurs) are designed for those contestants who wish to bake pasties that do not meet the criteria of PGI.

Contestants are invited to submit one baked pasty per category entered. The rules stipulate that all the ingredients must be fresh and the pastry made by hand; it has to be 6-8 inches long and weigh 10-12.5 ounces. For the traditional recipe, the filling has to include at least 12.5% beef, turnips, potatoes and onions with a light seasoning. It must be golden in color, glazed with milk or egg and robust enough to stay intact during the baking and cooling process.

The contestants begin arriving at 0830, carrying small freezer bags, to drop off their baked pasties The pasty’s internal temperature is measured to ensure that it is 46.4°F. The entry is placed on a numbered sheet of parchment paper (to ensure anonymity) on a baking tray. At 1000 the judges begin their work examining . . . poking . . . slicing… dicing . . .tasting. The process lasts almost five hours. They are grading against six criteria for a total of 100 points. They consider 1) general appearance; 2) the crimp; 3) the texture of the pastry; 4) the texture of the filling; 5) the taste; and, 6) the overall impression of the finished product

While the judges are hard at work, everyone else is enjoying the Eden Project to the fullest. Various Cornish musical groups attract a large crowd of families out to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Pasty baking workshops are a popular activity as are talks on how to pair food and beer. Thousands of pasties, scones, and pastries, prepared by the Eden Project chefs, are devoured by the crowds.

As the end of the day, first, second and third place prizes are awarded for the four categories at the “Oggy Oscar Presentation.” First place finishers receive a trophy carved from the balsa wood grown in the Eden Project Rainforest Biome. The winner of the Cornish Professional category is Graham Cornish of the Ginsters Bakery. The Chough Bakery (which we wrote about in April 2011) wins two prizes, including one by the grandson of the owner, Elaine Eads. On the other hand, this is England where there are never losers, where the motto of the day is “in the dust of defeat as in the laurels of victory, there is glory to be won by those who have done their best.”

Had there been a prize for most patriotic and original pasty, it may well have been awarded to Mike Amery, owner of the Inn at Bowman’s Hill in New Hope, Pennsylvania (USA). He generates a lot of interest, both amongst the other contestants and in the media. Mike, who is Cornish by birth, decorated his pasty with the black and white flag of St. Piran, Cornwall’s Patron Saint whose birthday is celebrated on March 5.

The staple dish and pride of Cornwall since time immemorial, the Cornish pasty is celebrated and feted by all, including us. Given the success and popularity of this year’s event, the World Championships are sure to become an annual event. Start practicing.

IF YOU GO
The Eden Project (Bodelva, St. Austell, Cornwall PL24 2SG.

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