Happy St Pirans Day! Why don’t you celebrate with some lovely Saffron Buns? Depending on where you live in Cornwall, there are lots of different ways to mark today. And if you aren’t from Cornwall, read on to learn a little bit about why today is special down in the South West. Synonymous with Cornwall is celebration, drink and great food. So read to the end for some lovely recipes to try yourself.

What’s special about today?

St Pirans Day (translated in Cornish as Gool Peran) celebrates the patron saint of tin miners. If you’re not from Cornwall, mining is entwined in the heritage of the area and is still evident today with a few of the disused mines dotted around the coast.

It is said that the miners used St Pirans day as a holiday or feast day. On this day, it is customary to enjoy your favourite Cornish treat and drink.

And what about the Saffron bun?

In later years, the saffron bun was used as part of feast day celebrations, usually by the local church. After a procession, children were given the big yellow buns as a treat. That was a little before my time. We would always celebrate with a slice of my Nanna’s Sunday Sponge instead.

Saffron is still pretty expensive compared to other spices! It is made using thousands of crocus stamens all crushed together, but when used in cookery, gives the most aromatic smell and vibrant yellow colour. Apparently, it’s use in Cornwall stems from early trading for the precious metal produced in Cornwall by the miners (I got ours from the lovely Treehouse in Aberystwyth)

So now that bit of history is covered, let’s get on to the cooking.

How do I make a Saffron Bun?

There are loads of recipes written down or dotted around. Some recipes will say amazing things such as mixing in clotted cream (if you’re going to do this, Rhoddas of Cornwall is spectacular) but I went with the basic method that I used in school. I would guess if you’re from Cornwall you probably did this as well. They are pretty easy. I’ve even made a little video on my Instagram (albeit in triple quick time) showing you what to do.

So here are some Saffron Bun recipe’s to try out…

• Recipe from a Cornish Kitchen Blog : a no-nonsense authentic  Saffron Bun family recipe passed down from generations. This is the version I made and it was just how I made them in school.
• Rick Steins Saffron Buns: If you’ve ever been to Padstow, you’ll know that Rick Stein owns most things, including a couple of very nice chippies. However, if you fancy some buns that are a bit extra, give these a bash
• Abigail Spooners Recipe :  Looks really delicious so popped this in too

So however you’re celebrating today, whether it’s a hot steak pasty, a pint of Rattler or just a nice walk around the coast, I’ll be tucking into my Saffron Bun’s with my family, many miles away, but hope that one day we’ll get back home to join in the celebrations.

Gool Peran Lowen xx