While you are out and about in Cornwall, you will find some great food and drinks that are sourced locally. From local Pasties to a traditional Cornish Cream Tea, all washed down with a locally produced range of drinks. You can always take some home when you leave.
True Cornish Pasties are only available in Cornwall, as you might expect. Originally made for the Cornish miners’ wives for their husbands and sons to take down the mine. A pastry made into a D shape is traditionally stuffed with potato, swede, onion and cheap meat. Miners would eat the pasty and throwaway the crust where they held it, as this would have dirt on it.
Families have their own way of making the pasty, so you find different variants all over Cornwall. Pasties are now made with all sorts of ingredients, but you must try a traditional steak pasty.
Here are a few alternatives to the traditional steak pasty: Apple & Blackcurrant, Cheese & Onion, Lamb & Mint, Vegetarian, Turkey & Cranberry and Meat & Vegetable.
Stargazy pie is unique. Stargazy Pie is, a buttery pastry filled with white sauce, eggs, potato and pilchards. The unusual thing is that the heads and tails of the pilchards poke out from beneath the pie crust. .
The pie originates from the fishing village of Mousehole in Cornwall. The pie is served to celebrate the bravery of Tom Bawcock, a local fisherman in the 16th century who, on a stormy night, took his boat out and caught enough fish to feed the village.
Cornish Cream Tea
Made from a freshly baked scone, strawberry jam and clotted cream. In Cornwall the split scones are topped with jam and then cream, in Devon it is done the other way around. Normally the cream teas are served with tea or fresh coffee.
Cornish Clotted Cream
Can only be made in Cornwall, and is made by heating unpasteurized cow's milk in a shallow pan for many hours which causes the cream to rise to the surface and "clot.". Clotted cream can be purchased anywhere in Cornwall in various sizes.
Saffron Buns
Saffron Buns are a rich bun in a bright yellow colour that comes from the saffron flavouring. You can eat them fresh from the baker or with a little butter and jam to add some more flavour. You can even toast these buns with some Cornish butter.
Cornish Yarg
Cornish Yarg (founder's name Gray spelt backwards) is a cheese wrapped in nettles. Tasting a bit like Caerphilly and is a hard cheese which is hand wrapped. With great flavour and texture and a good level of crumble.
Hevva Cake
Made from only five ingredients; self-raising flour, butter, mixed dried fruit, sugar and milk. Basically a fruit cake with a top with a criss-cross pattern that represents the fishing nets inspired by its origins. These are great for taking home.
A full Cornish Breakfast
The full Cornish breakfast differs slightly from a traditional English fry-up. A traditional hogs pudding replaces black pudding on the Cornish version of the fry-up. Hogs pudding is a white sausage made using pork, breadcrumbs and herbs and it is served sliced and fried.
Fresh Cornish Seafood
Cornwall has a large coastline packed with delicious seafood. Traditional seaside fish and chips can reach a whole new dimension when it is made with fresh fish caught only hours before. Crab, Shellfish and Lobster can be found when you are out and about. There are excellent seafood restaurants dotted across the county.
Cornish Ice-Cream
Cornwall is home to some of the best ice-cream in the UK. Some use local clotted cream which tastes great. You will be able to find regular flavours and some unusual flavours too.