This is a celebration of the base material, pastry, rather than the various small, sweet products known as pastries.
Pastry is a simple, yet versatile, product. It dates back to the ancient Mediterranean, making it comparatively recent compared to baked products such as bread. At its simplest, pastry is simply flour, water and a shortening agent such as butter. There are other ingredients that can be added to it as well, such as other shortening agents (like oil) eggs, milk and sugar.
Different types of pastry use different ingredients, but it is what is done with the pastry that often defines whether it is a sweet or savoury dish. The same pastry can be used in both; both puff and shortcrust pastry, the latter being the most common type, are used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It's what is made with the pastry that makes the difference.
There are other types of pastry available. For those who wish to bake at home, but don't want to go through the hassle of making their own pastry, pre-made pastry can be purchased in a variety of forms, from pie shells to sheets to blocks.
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