Gastronomic Highlights of Cornwall

Who likes travel and food?   I have partnered with Skye Cottages to bring you this delicious guest post.

 

Cornwall, the most southerly point of the UK, is home to some wonderful beaches but what really makes a visit worthwhile is the area’s fantastic foodie heritage.  Join us for a tour through the gastronomic highlights of lovely Cornwall.

No visit to Cornwall is complete without sampling the region’s two famous exports; Cornish pasties and a traditional cream tea.  The pasty began as an easy lunch for the region’s tin miners.  The crimped edge was used as a handle to guard against the high levels of arsenic in the mines.  Today, the peppery combination of steak and vegetables encased in pastry is a fantastic lunch on the move.  When it comes to your afternoon treat, how tea is served will depend very much which county you are in.  In Cornwall, a freshly baked scone is spread thick with clotted cream and topped with jam.  In neighbouring Devon, the ritual is reversed with cream topping the jam.  The Cornish way is definitely my preference!

Saffron cake is another Cornish specialty worth tracking down during your visit.  The world’s most expensive spice first reached Cornish shores via Phoenician traders who bartered saffron for Cornish tin.  The locals used the spice to colour and flavour their food and the saffron cake was born.  Although more like bread in texture, saffron cake is a great teatime treat whether you prefer it cold with butter or lightly toasted and certainly gives the traditional cream tea a run for its money!

Pick up some Cornish Yarg for a great addition to a lunchtime picnic.  This cheese made from cows’ milk was first made in the 1980s but is based on a thirteenth century recipe.  Once made, the cheese is wrapped in nettles found in the Cornish countryside for up to six weeks.  This gives the cheese an edible but mouldy rind and a unique creamy flavour with a crumbly texture.  Enjoy Yarg as part of a traditional Ploughman’s lunch but it can also be used in cooking to produce a wonderfully creamy risotto.

 

Cornwall is flanked by almost 300 miles of coastline and unsurprisingly seafood lovers will be spoilt for choice in Cornwall.  You can’t get much fresher than enjoying a portion of fish and chips on the beach knowing that the fish was caught that morning.  Fowey River mussels and Cornish crab are two seafood treats to sample if you get the chance.  If you’re feeling really adventurous make the most of the kitchen in your self-catering cottage in Cornwall and attempt Stargazey Pie.  Cornish pilchards pierce the pastry lid of this pie to look skywards and make for a warming autumn meal.  Not to worry if making a pie seems a bit too much effort while you’re on holiday; plenty of local shops sell Stargazey Pie for you to enjoy.

Sykes Cottages have a fantastic range of cosy Cornish cottages ideal for exploring the region one culinary specialty at a time.  Eat your way through Cornwall from cosy tea shop to country pub before returning home to your holiday cottage for a much needed lie-down.  I can think of no better way to spend a few days in Cornwall!