A pasty is a British baked pastry that is traditionally associated with Cornwall, South West England, but has spread all over the British Isles. It is made by placing an uncooked filling, typically meat and vegetables, in the middle of a flat shortcrust pastry circle, bringing the edges together in the middle, and crimping over the top to form a seal before baking. Although the officially protected Cornish pasty has a specific ingredients list, old Cornish cookery books show that pasties were generally made from whatever ingredients were available.
Here are some details about pasties:
Positive:
- A traditional British pastry that is enjoyed all over the British Isles.
- Can be made with a variety of fillings.
- The Cornish pasty has legal protection to ensure that only genuine Cornish pasties are sold under that name.
Negative:
- None found.
Ingredients or materials:
- The filling typically includes meat and vegetables.
- The pastry can be shortcrust, rough puff, or puff.
- The Cornish pasty must contain at least 12.5% beef and 25% vegetables in the whole pasty.
- All the ingredients must be uncooked when the pasty is assembled and then slowly baked to develop all that famous Cornish pasty taste and succulence.
Note that the definition of "pasty" can also refer to a consistency, texture, or color that is like paste. Additionally, the term "pasty" is used in the context of hazard communication to describe powdered, granular, or pasty chemicals that are dangerous if they can be easily ignited by brief contact with an ignition source.
