You’ll never truly enjoy a Cornish holiday if you don’t sample some of its most famous dishes and treats. Known for their use of only the freshest local produce and ingredients freshly caught off the Cornish coast, these foods from Cornwall are a reflection of the region’s rich maritime and mining heritage where local fishermen and miners were treated to a feast of ingredients that were readily available without the fuss and flair of modern cuisines. Here are the top 4 must-try Cornish dishes and treats to complete your holiday vacation in Cornwall.
1. Cornish Pasty
A visit to Cornwall is never complete without tasting the Cornish Pasty. Sure, you can get this in other cosy restaurants in other parts of the UK as well the rest of the world but there is something magical about the way these baked goodies are produced in Cornwall. Known among locals as “oggies”, the Cornish pasty is a smorgasbord of flavours and aromas that can only come from the most succulent beef you can find, mixed with onions, potatoes, and swede, before meticulously folded and baked to give you its classic Cornish taste.
2. Stargazy Pie
With 80 per cent of Cornwall’s perimeter washed by the warm waters of the sea, fresh seafood is a staple. One of the best ways to enjoy this bounty from the sea, baked in the same tradition as the Cornish pasty, is devouring an entire serving of Stargazy pie. In case you’re wondering why they call it as such, you get the heads of fishes poking straight up the surface of the freshly baked pie, like the pillars of Stonehenge watching the night time sky. You’ve got herring, mackerel, or even pilchards sticking their heads, looking skywards, from a bed of thickened milk, white wine, boiled eggs, onions, potatoes, and bacon.
3. Cornish Cream Tea
While Cornwall is famous for its coastline, it is also home to some of UK’s famed dairy farms. As such, it is expected that they produce one of the UK’s most indulgent, creamiest, and freshest clotted cream. The best way to enjoy this is by ordering baked scones and strawberry jam while downing a piping hot cup of traditional English tea. Make sure to try the Cornish ice cream, too as this is essentially made from Cornish clotted cream. There are plenty of ice cream shops in Cornwall so you’ll get to taste different regional flavours.
4. Cornish Yarg
One of the best products from the dairy farms of Cornwall you really have to try is the Cornish yarg which is the region’s interpretation of creamy, fresh, and semi-hard cheese. Made from cow’s milk, pasteurised, and then wrapped in nettles, the Cornish yarg provides a very different cheesy experience: soft and creamy underneath the nettles and crumbly at the core.
With these delectable treats, not only are you filling your tummy with the region’s bounty; you are also taking in a part of the rich tradition and heritage of this part of the UK.
