cottage pie

[take money]

Are there really cottages in cottage pie?

[andy hughes]

Not really. The two similar types of pie - 'cottage' pie and 'shepherd's' pie are distinguished by the meat used in the mince that forms the basis of the pie. 'Cottage' pie usually contains beef, because it would be made at the farm, where there would be cattle, but 'shepherd's' pie contains mutton, and would be made by the shepherd or his wife from the available sheep carcasses. That's the difference between the two.

[take money]

ok. but why are cottage pies called cottage pies when they are made at farms and not cottages?

[rekstout]

Maybe they are called cottage pies in reference to the thatched roofs on cottages being represented by the mashed potato on top of the "pie"

[take money]

i dunno bout that one rekstout

[incitatus]

They are called cottage pies, like cottage loaves, because they are peasant food. The meat could be of very low quality. Farmhouse food is generally of good quality as a farmer is quite an affluent person. (well obviously not nowadays, but way back). Cottage food is what would be eaten by a farm labourer living in a farm cottage.