The Cornish pastry is a somewhat of a funny-shaped pie but there are reasons behind their funny looks. The pasties were originally made by the wives of Cornish tin miners. The miners would take their pies down the mine for their meal break.

There were no washing facilities down the mines and touching food with tin resin on their hands would make the miners very ill, so the miners' wives invented pies with handles.

One type was formed on a thin clean stick or tough pastries handles either end. The miners would enjoy a well-earned lunch and then throw the sticks and handles down the mine for the ‘tommy knockers' – the spirits of the mine who were common or garden rats – but the miners thought the spirits were talking to them. As my mother would say; there is a reason for everything, so the minors felt obligated to feed the spirits.

Ken Jones, Katikati.