A local delicacy

by Claire Woodbridge (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

I didn't expect to find Mexico

The Cornish Pasty. Simple, hearty, and delicious. A proud and noble pastry which owes its roots to cautious hygiene for the miners and can be still be found as a local delicacy in the heart of those once thriving communities in Mexico. Mexico? Yes, Mexico. Of all the things you would expect to find in this vibrant country, Cornish Pasties would not have been at the top of my list. In all honesty, it wouldn't have been on my list at all because of all the things any country would want to adopt from England, food is certainly not what the English are best praised for. I was confused. This was not Mexico City, a multicultural city with more than 8 million people where there are bound to be some British influences, but rather, this is Real del Monte, a small mining town in the state of Hidalgo, which is about two hours north from Mexico City. What were Cornish Pasties doing here? They're not spicy or eaten with a tortilla; the two ground rules for most Mexican cooking. All my questions had answers, and those answers were to be found in The Museum of Pasties. This was becoming surreal. As I make my way through the entrance, there's a photograph of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla making pasties at this very museum and at this moment I remind myself that nothing should be a surprise in this country anymore because it's Mexico. So I take moment, then pay my 35 pesos and join a group of people in making Cornish Pasties. I am British, I grew up in a small town famous for shoes in the Midlands, and I've been to Cornwall like every other British holiday maker. Yet, I have never made a Cornish Pasty but here I am, rolling up a pastry filled with re-fried beans and chipotle (there's the Mexican twist needed to turn otherwise dull English food into something a little more exciting), in a kitchen full of other Mexicans who are completely transformed by this new culinary experience. They weren't the only ones, but for different reasons. As our pastries go into the oven, the tour and an explanation begins. In the 19th century, the British were doing what they did best for the time, and set foot on a foreign land and began cultivating it. They made it to Pachuca (the state capital) and discovered some abandoned mines from the Spanish, and the British came to an agreement with the newly formed Mexican Republic to mine in them. The majority of these Brits were Cornish and brought with them new technology (they were coming from the industrial revolution after all), their families, and of course, food. It is because of the practicality of a Cornish Pasty that they were so radical. To avoid eating the poisonous dirt on your hands, the pastry acts as a protector for the precious potato, leek, and minced beef mixture inside which is what made them so practical. This trend soon caught on and became a hit with the locals and even when the British left owing to some unrest between Mexico and the United States which resulted in a war and Mexico losing a lot of its northern territory, the Pasty lived on and is still highly celebrated. On almost every street corner in many cities in the state, you can find someone selling Cornish Pasties which have been appropriated to have different, more Mexican fillings, even include sweet versions (filled with pineapple, strawberry, apple, or blackberries). Although there are very few English people left in this state, their legacy still lives on through the traditions that they brought with them, including free education; the globalisation of football; and of course, this modest miner's lunch. However, fear not! The town is always up-to-date with the latest pasty news as a delegation from Real del Monte visits Cornwall every year to attend the Pasty Festival. Talk about career goals...