Books Reviews

The Little Book of the Pasty – Book Review

By Angela Youngman May 31, 2011, 15:40 GMT

Cornish Pasties are legendary, and are based on a traditional recipe now hundreds of years old.  The concept now spans continents following the emigration of Cornish people worldwide. 

Yet true Cornish pasties can only be made in one place - the county of Cornwall.  This is the story of this product, which is now worth over £65m to the local economy.  Emma Marshall has written a fascinating little book pulling together facts, figures and legends celebrating the Cornish pasty. 

From the tale of the world's largest pasty measuring over 4 meters and weighing 850 kilos to its role in the diet of the Cornish miner; this is a gem of a story. As the book points out "it was an ideal meal which a tinner could take down the mine wrapped in a cloth and still find warm three hours later". 

Nor is it just the ingredients that make a proper Cornish pasty - it even has to be crimped the right way and full instructions are given.