First Cornish pasty museum set to open - in Mexico

PA

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the world's first Cornish pasty museum might be based in Cornwall... but, in fact, it's set to open 5,000 miles away in Mexico.

The Regulatory Council for the Cornish Heritage of Real del Monte is set to open its pasty museum in 2012.

But it's not just a random gesture. The town is twinned with Redruth, and its links with Cornwall date back to the 1820s, when Cornish miners settled there, helping to boost the silver mining industry.

In fact, Real del Monte - the home of pasty production in Mexico - holds the world's only annual International Pasty Festival, which attracts around 20,000 visitors a year, and growing.

But there are differences in the humble pie; Mexican pasties are larger, and, rather than just meat, veg and potatoes, contain more varied fillings, like black bean and shredded chicken, to sausages and chilies.

They also have fruity pasties with pineapples, strawberries and blackberries.

Members of Real del Monte's Regulatory Council for the Cornish Heritage, including chairman Jaime Soto, recently visited Cornwall, and Mark Muncey, chairman of the Cornish Pasty Association, told the Daily Mail: 'We are very proud of the history and heritage behind the Cornish pasty, which was granted the protected food status earlier this year, and it is great to have the opportunity to share the knowledge about this iconic product with Jaime and his team.'

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