Notes from Cornwall: Food and Random Thoughts
Notes from Cornwall: Food and Random Thoughts
By Ethel DeMarr
WAVEJourney contributor, Ethel DeMarr, and her husband, Terry, share their notes on food and random thoughts from their 2012 summer-time stay in Cornwall, England.
Ethel Golfing the Links in Cornwall
With only days left in Cornwall, I am pondering what I will remember most of the weeks spent here. Certainly, the dramatic beauty of the Cornish coast will stand out. Walking the Southwest Coastal Path provided many hours of inspiration and exhilaration. We spent hours on Cornwall’s links golf courses, learning how to play a special kind of golf. They punished us and rewarded us as we played 24 rounds in 45 days, so far! The Isles of Scillywere a highlight with their puffins, windswept beaches and glorious gardens. And the Minack Theatre, hand carved into the seaside cliff, is truly a WOMAN-made wonder of the world!
Minack Theatre
But, I must comment about the food before we move on to another continent. British food is generally a source of humor. Certainly, there is bad food here, just as there is bad food at home. However, like in the US, there are fine restaurants, celebrity chefs and tasty food if you look for it. The super markets are on a par with ours, once you learn the language!
And, in Cornwall, the seafood is plentiful and well prepared if you avoid fish and chips shops! We have had many top quality meals over the past weeks.
Enjoying Fine Fare in Cornwall, England
We have had the advantage of being able to cook for ourselves most of the time. Perhaps the best part of that is breakfast! As many of you know, “the full English breakfast” is something to be avoided if health is a concern. More like a heart attack on a plate. Just cannot warm up to beans, tomatoes or mushrooms for breakfast, let alone black pudding. Happy to report that we generally enjoyed yogurt, fruit and granola.
English Breakfast
Another English breakfast favorite is a “breakfast bap”. The word “bap” refers to a type of roll, much like a hamburger bun. The breakfast dish is similar to an Egg McMuffin, using on of these baps, egg and bacon. Terry has brought the art of breakfast baps to an all time high. Simply stated, his are delicious. (Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he is cooking while I enjoy my coffee….but we will forget that for now!)
I know some of you are thinking, “oh, but that English bacon is not like ours!” True. However, after weeks of research and consultation with natives, we discovered “streaky bacon.” Yes, that is like our bacon. Very little meat and lots of fat! Meat candy!
Cornish Pasty
One cannot discuss food in Cornwall without mentioning the famous pasty. Most of you probably know that pasties were the food of the Cornish miners. They could get a full meal in a handy pastry packet. They even have little pastry “handles” so the miners could hold it by this hard piece of pastry with their filthy hands and then toss it away when finished. Supposedly, the miners could reduce their intake of arsenic by tossing away that handle. Never mind that they wore no breathing apparatus.
We met an elderly man who had worked in the mines and he confirmed that they did indeed eat pasties. He said that at lunch time, a large box of
pasties was lowered into the mine. As the youngest, this man said he always got “flat” pasties from the bottom of the box. He also said he ate the handle and has lived to tell about it! So there!
We learned that many Cornish miners went to Peru and Chile in the mid to late 1800’s to work in the mines there. That got me thinking about the similarities between pasties and empanadas! I wonder if there is any connection?
Two more observations about our life here: 1) The Brits love their dogs more than any group I have known. Everyone seems to have a dog and they take them everywhere. Dogs are welcome in its pubs, even the posh ones. They love to run on the beaches and play in the mud and sand. I am always wondering what the owners do with them when they get home!
2) I am enjoying watching the Olympics with a different perspective. Of course, here it is all about Team GB! American triumphs are underplayed or ignored unless it’s Michael Phelps. But, for me, I am finally able to see the equestrian events and the rowing events! Seems these are rarely aired at home. Nice to know that there are a few other people who are interested in these sports!
And so, we will leave lovely Cornwall with great memories. We have done all we hoped to do and WE WERE NOT HOT!!
Next we are off to Africa.
Cheers! Keep Calm and Carry On!
If You Go:
Read more travel tips and tales from Ethel and Terry’s travels:
– Notes from Cornwall – National Trails and National Trust.
– Discover the Isles of Scilly.
– Notes from Africa: Visiting an Elephant Orphanage.
– African Safari Adventures with andBeyond.
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