The Surprising Connection Between Cornish Pasties and Mexican Pastes
If you’ve ever wandered along the stunning sandy shores of Cornwall, the picturesque county located at the southwestern tip of England, you’ve likely indulged in a delightful Cornish pasty or two. Remarkably, thousands of kilometers away, in the scenic mountains of central Mexico, a unique celebration is underway—an event dedicated to a similarly beloved pastry. Welcome to the International Paste Festival, a vibrant celebration of the “paste,” pronounced PAH-stay, a treasured local culinary delight that traces its roots back to British miners.
This savory pastry was introduced to the mining town of Real del Monte by Cornish miners in the 1820s, and it has evolved over the years to incorporate local flavors and ingredients. While traditional Cornish pasties are typically filled with a hearty mix of beef, onion, potato, and swede, Mexican pastes often feature rich, spicy fillings such as mole sauce, or sweet combinations like pineapple or blueberry paired with cheese.
Many people may be unaware of the fascinating origins of these pastries, but a visit to a nearby graveyard reveals their history. Perched atop a cobblestone hill, this resting place contains around 700 graves, many of which are adorned with distinctly English names. These gravestones commemorate the miners who traveled to Mexico in 1824, seeking fortune in the extraction of silver, copper, zinc, gold, and mercury.
A Taste of Tradition
These miners hailed from Cornwall, which boasted a robust mining community during the 19th century. They brought with them their beloved Cornish pasties, a culinary tradition that dates back to the 13th century. Initially a delicacy for the nobility, by the 19th century, pasties were recognized as the perfect portable meal for miners, with their crimped edges serving as a convenient handle, keeping the filling clean from the dust of the mines.
Isabel Arriaga Lozano, a local resident who has been crafting pastes for over 30 years, emphasizes the pivotal role these pastries play in the daily lives of the people in the enchanting town of Real del Monte. “I believe around 50% of us here earn our living from this,” she explains. “Above all, it’s the love we put into every paste that transforms it into a truly exceptional product.”
In addition to this passion, Arriaga believes that the enduring popularity of pastes can be attributed to the incorporation of “Mexicanized” ingredients. “In Mexico, we always seek that spicy flavor… we add pepper, we add parsley,” she shares. Visitors to this year’s paste festival, held from October 13 to 15, were treated to an array of filling options such as frijoles (beans), spiced mole sauce, or a Mexican-style tuna, while traditional UK menus are more likely to showcase fillings like “full English breakfast,” “steak and ale,” or “lamb and mint.”
A Celebration of Culture
The festival itself was a vibrant spectacle, with the charming town of Real del Monte adorned with colorful banners and signs featuring the flags of Mexico, Britain, and Cornwall, celebrating the extraordinary connection that has flourished over the past two centuries.
For those who missed the festivities, fear not! The celebration of pastes continues year-round at the town’s Paste Museum. “The paste arrived in 1824, brought by the English miners from Cornwall who came to Real del Monte to work in the mines,” explains Epifanio Garcés Torres, the director of the Paste Museum. “The first Englishwoman to bake one here was Mary Jenkins in 1824.” To honor this culinary legacy, we say: “buen provecho” and “omlowenhewgh agas boes” (Bon appétit in Spanish and Cornish).
