The International Pasty Festival

The International Pasty Festival (Spanish: Festival Internacional del Paste) is an annual festival celebrating the pasty that has been held in Real del Monte, Hidalgo, Mexico since 2009. Pasties (known locally as pastes), were introduced to the region by Cornish miners in the 19th century and are still made by their descendants. Traditional recipes may be followed, but often the ingredients today reflect local preferences. The annual festival attracts thousands of visitors, who may also visit the Cornish Pasty Museum and attend other cultural events.

The 3-day International Pasty Festival was launched in Real del Monte in October 2009. María Oralia Vega Ortíz, Hidalgo tourism secretary, opened the festival. Richard Williams, president of the Sociedad Cornish Mexicana, was among those present. Thirteen paste companies participated. Commercial stalls sold the savoury snacks on the main streets of the town. Fillings included tongue, brain, sausage, beans and yellow cheese. There were teething troubles, as when customs officials confiscated swedes that were being imported as an essential ingredient for authentic pasties.

The October 2011 festival attracted about 20,000 visitors. In November 2011 Real del Monte opened the first Cornish Pasty Museum in the world, organised by the town’s Cornish Culture Council. Before the museum was opened a group from The Regulatory Council for the Cornish Heritage of Real del Monte visited Cornwall on a week-long fact finding mission and met with the Cornish Pasty Association.[8] The fourth annual “International Paste Festival” was held on 12–14 October 2012, supported by the government of the state of Hidalgo. Visitors were invited to view pre-Columbian archaeological sites, mines and the English Cemetery. Eight companies engaged in making pastes participated in the festival.

In May 2013 Juan Renato Olivares, Hidalgo tourism minister, visited Cornwall to try to encourage the people of Cornwall to visit Mexico. He said “The Mexicans are immensely proud of their extraordinary links with Cornwall as so many of the descendants of the original miners live in Mexico – people with wonderful names such as Enrique Pengelly and Raoul Pascoe. In September 2013 Victor Aladro, the president of the Cornish Mexican Pasty Association, was with a delegation that toured Heartlands in Pool, Cornwall, where he was given a Cornish Mining World Heritage Site sign. The sign was to be unveiled at a ceremony celebrating mining during the forthcoming International Pasty Festival.[11]

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Real del Monte in 2014. They visited the Pasty Museum, where the couple made pasties. The 7th Festival Internacional del Paste was held on 9–11 October 2015 in Real del Monte. The festival had developed into one of the largest in the state, providing an opportunity for marketing products and services of the tourism and food industries. It included artistic and cultural events, and the opportunity to savour the local pasties, or pastes.

Paris Food Festivals: the Best of French Food in Paris
France is a paradise for foodies and each region is characterized by its own distinctive French cuisine and produce.

Paris and Ile-de-France are central regions where almost anything from the country is available. When it comes to choosing delicacies to try in Paris you are pretty spoilt for choice: over 9.000 restaurants, something like 1.800 pâtisseries and weekly farmer’s markets proposing delicious French food in every Paris arrondissement.

But it is not only about restaurants and other food establishments: Paris food culture also means fantastic French food festivals and wine fairs all year round.

So get your taste buds ready: this is the list of best French food festivals in Paris that foodies cannot miss. If you are planning a trip to Paris during the coming months, check the upcoming food festivals, perhaps you can add one or two food events in your Paris checklist.