If you are at all familiar with England, then a mention of Devon will immediately bring to mind the cream tea, the traditional tea time fare of the region, a ritual that over the years has taken on an almost sacred significance. It consists of a pot of piping hot English tea, thick fruit jam sliding from freshly baked scones, clotted cream, and butter. In Devon and Cornwall - the traditional home in southwest England of cream teas, there is still a debate on whether the jam or the cream should be put on the scone first! But that is another story… You simply cannot visit the region without savouring its delicious combination of tastes.

Clotted cream is rich beyond belief. If you have not had the gastronomic pleasure of trying clotted cream, you first need to know that its flavour varies from one region to another, though it remains a specialty of the southwestern counties. Devon cream, named for the shire where cows graze in rich pasture land, is thick and reminiscent of butter, while Cornish cream is whiter and lighter. Clotted cream is made from rich creamy milk from high-fat breed cows such as Jerseys, that is left to sit for 24 hours in the winter and 12 hours in the summer, before being warmed over low heat - traditionally a copper pan is used - until it begins to thicken and wrinkle on the surface. It is then left in a cool place until the next day, when the clotted cream is carefully skimmed from the top.

In Cornwall, keeping with the local theme, cream teas are usually served with Cornish splits, little soft white raised cakes.

Many aspects of the food of the southwest have roots far back in history, connections that go back to the time of the glorious Good Queen Bess, the redoubtable Sir Francis Drake and his Golden Hind, and the English East India Company with its posts scattered from Gibraltar to Madras, Calcutta and Bombay. It is because of this particular page in history that tea time in English culture - especially in the southwest - took on an eastern flavour. The English stocked up when ships laden with spices left a few bundles in the ports of Devon and Cornwall, filling their kitchens with the aromas of cakes scented with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.

The English, however, had been using spices in the Middle Ages to give both flavour and colour to their food. In the 14th century, Cornwall was covered with vast fields of blue crocuses, which produced saffron. A vestige of that far-off time survives to this day in the Cornish custom of serving saffron buns and cakes as traditional holiday treats, especially during Lent and Easter time and at annual fairs.

Meanwhile, boats from the West Indies brought to this region its famous chocolate rum cake. But we have only touched on the delights of the southwest - there is much more…

Hampshire is renowned for its strawberries, made into luscious fillings for cakes, shortcake, tortes and custards. Further west the apple is queen, frequently used to make meltingly delicious cakes.

Sally Lunns, those tender, buttery, slightly sweet little buns, are a specialty of Bath, where they say a certain Sally Lun used to sell them in the streets in the 18th century. Others argue that the name comes from the French words soleil-lune, sun and moon, referring to the buns' sun-like round golden top, and their pale flat "lunar" bottoms. Whatever the source of the name, they are often enjoyed straight out of the oven, still warm, split in half and spread with Devon cream or flavoured with sherry, rose water and caraway seeds. These days candied peel and currants are often added and they are sprinkled with bits of crushed sugar, which gives them their unique crunchiness.

In lovely Somerset, you might find yourself raising a tankard of the local smooth still cider to accompany your Priddy Oggy, a crust-covered pie filed with pork and ham. Save room, for there is always a rich dessert nearby, perhaps Apple Dappy, Whit Pot, Clifton Puffs or Lardy Cake…

From the sweet, malty taste of real ale with traditional Cornish pasties in the local country pub, to the fine crisp tang of a dry Chardonnay with lobster and scallops caught fresh from the local seas, the southwest of England offers a multitude of culinary delights. The verdant countryside dotted with stone fences, the spires of parish churches looming over story-book villages, even the occasional thatched cottage… here in this green and pleasant land the recipes and products are steeped in tradition. This is the southwest of England.