Pasty vs. Slice: What's the Difference?
By Janet White || Updated on May 22, 2024
A pasty is a baked pastry filled with meat and vegetables, often associated with Cornwall, while a slice refers to a single piece of pizza or a segment of a larger dish.
Key Differences
A pasty is a type of baked pastry that traditionally contains a filling of meat, potatoes, onions, and sometimes other vegetables, enclosed in a crust. Originating from Cornwall, England, it is designed to be a complete, portable meal, often with a distinctive crimped edge that serves as a handle. A slice, in culinary terms, generally refers to a portion cut from a larger food item, commonly a piece of pizza. A slice can also pertain to segments of cakes, pies, or other baked goods. While it is not tied to a specific regional tradition, slices are a ubiquitous way to serve and consume various dishes, especially in casual and fast-food settings.
The pasty is notable for its cultural heritage and specific filling, often being a hearty, handheld meal. In contrast, a slice is more about serving convenience, offering a portion of a larger prepared item for easy consumption.
While the pasty is a self-contained dish with its ingredients enclosed in pastry dough, a slice typically exposes its ingredients and is part of a larger whole, such as a pizza or cake.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Baked pastry with a meat and vegetable filling
Portion cut from a larger food item
Origin
Cornwall, England
General, various cuisines
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Common Fillings
Meat, potatoes, onions, vegetables
Pizza toppings, cake, pie fillings
Form
Enclosed in a pastry crust
Exposed ingredients, part of a larger whole
Usage
Portable, complete meal
Convenient serving size
Pasty and Slice Definitions
Pasty
A baked pastry filled with meat and vegetables.
The Cornish pasty is a traditional British snack.
Slice
Can refer to cake or pie segments.
She served me a slice of chocolate cake.
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Pasty
A portable meal enclosed in a crust.
Miners often carried pasties for their lunch.
Slice
A thin broad piece cut from a larger object
Ate a slice of cheese.
Examined a slice of the diseased lung.
Pasty
Typically filled with a savory mix.
The pasty contained beef, potatoes, and onions.
Slice
An often wedge-shaped piece cut from a larger, usually circular object
Ordered a slice of pie.
Shared a slice of pizza.
Pasty
Originating from Cornwall, often regarded as a regional specialty.
Cornish pasties have Protected Geographical Indication status in the UK.
Slice
A portion or share
A slice of the profits.
Pasty
Pastry with a crimped edge.
The crimped edge of the pasty makes it easy to hold.
Slice
A knife with a broad, thin, flexible blade, used for cutting and serving food.
Pasty
Resembling paste in consistency.
Slice
A similar implement for spreading printing ink.
Pasty
Having a pale lifeless appearance; pallid
An unhealthy, pasty complexion.
Slice
The course of a ball that curves in the direction of the dominant hand of the player propelling it, as to the right of a right-handed player.
Pasty
A pie or turnover, especially one with a savory filling including seasoned meat, fish, or vegetables.
Slice
A stroke that causes a ball to follow such a course
A golfer with a bad slice.
Pasty
Like paste, sticky.
These mashed potatoes aren’t cooked well; they are very pasty.
Slice
A ball propelled on such a course.
Pasty
Pale, lacking colour, having a pallor
He is pasty-faced.
Are you feeling OK? You look a bit pasty.
Slice
A stroke, as in tennis, in which the ball is struck with a downward motion with the open face of the racket in order to impart backspin.
Pasty
White-skinned
Slice
To cut or divide into slices
Slice a loaf of bread.
Pasty
A small item of clothing that conceals little more than the nipple of a woman's breast, primarily worn by female exotic dancers.
Slice
To cut from a larger piece
Slice off a piece of salami.
Pasty
A type of seasoned meat and vegetable hand pie, usually of a semicircular shape.
Slice
To cut through or move through with an action like cutting
"where wheels have freshly sliced the April mire" (Robert Frost).
Pasty
Like paste, as in color, softness, stickness.
Slice
To divide into portions or shares; parcel out
"With mortgage securitisation, a pool of home loans is sliced into tranches bearing different degrees of risk" (David Shirreff).
Pasty
A pie consisting usually of meat wholly surrounded with a crust made of a sheet of paste, and often baked without a dish; a meat pie.
A large pasty baked in a pewter platter.
Slice
To reduce or remove from a larger amount or entity
Sliced 10 percent off the asking price.
Pasty
Small meat pie or turnover
Slice
(Sports)To hit (a ball) with a slice.
Pasty
Resembling paste in color; pallid;
The looked pasty and red-eyed
A complexion that had been pastelike was now chalky white
Slice
To make a cut with a cutting implement
I sliced into the cake.
Pasty
Having the properties of glue
Slice
To move like a knife
The destroyer sliced through the water.
Slice
(Sports)To hit a ball with a slice.
Slice
That which is thin and broad.
Slice
A thin, broad piece cut off.
A slice of bacon; a slice of cheese; a slice of bread
Jim was munching on a slice of toast.
Slice
(colloquial) An amount of anything.
Slice
A piece of pizza.
Slice
(British) A snack consisting of pastry with savoury filling.
I bought a ham and cheese slice at the service station.
Slice
A broad, thin piece of plaster.
Slice
A knife with a thin, broad blade for taking up or serving fish; also, a spatula for spreading anything, as paint or ink.
Slice
A salver, platter, or tray.
Slice
A plate of iron with a handle, forming a kind of chisel, or a spadelike implement, variously proportioned, and used for various purposes, as for stripping the planking from a vessel's side, for cutting blubber from a whale, or for stirring a fire of coals; a slice bar; a peel; a fire shovel.
Slice
One of the wedges by which the cradle and the ship are lifted clear of the building blocks to prepare for launching.
Slice
(printing) A removable sliding bottom to a galley.
Slice
(golf) A shot that (for the right-handed player) curves unintentionally to the right. See fade, hook, draw
Slice
Any of a class of heavy cakes or desserts made in a tray and cut out into squarish slices.
Slice
(medicine) A section of image taken of an internal organ using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), CT (computed tomography), or various forms of x-ray.
Slice
(falconry) A hawk's or falcon's dropping which squirts at an angle other than vertical. (See mute.)
Slice
(programming) A contiguous portion of an array.
Slice
(transitive) To cut into slices.
Slice the cheese thinly.
Slice
(transitive) To cut with an edge utilizing a drawing motion.
The knife left sliced his arm.
Slice
(transitive) To clear (e.g. a fire, or the grate bars of a furnace) by means of a slice bar.
Slice
To hit the shuttlecock with the racket at an angle, causing it to move sideways and downwards.
Slice
To hit a shot that slices (travels from left to right for a right-handed player).
Slice
To angle the blade so that it goes too deeply into the water when starting to take a stroke.
Slice
To kick the ball so that it goes in an unintended direction, at too great an angle or too high.
Slice
To hit the ball with a stroke that causes a spin, resulting in the ball swerving or staying low after a bounce.
Slice
(mathematics) Having the properties of a slice knot.
Slice
A thin, broad piece cut off; as, a slice of bacon; a slice of cheese; a slice of bread.
Slice
That which is thin and broad, like a slice.
Slice
To cut into thin pieces, or to cut off a thin, broad piece from.
Slice
To cut into parts; to divide.
Slice
To clear by means of a slice bar, as a fire or the grate bars of a furnace.
Slice
To hit (the ball) so that the face of the club draws across the face of the ball and deflects it.
Slice
A share of something;
A slice of the company's revenue
Slice
A serving that has been cut from a larger portion;
A piece of pie
A slice of bread
Slice
A wound made by cutting;
He put a bandage over the cut
Slice
A golf shot that curves to the right for a right-handed golfer;
He took lessons to cure his slicing
Slice
A thin flat piece cut off of some object
Slice
A spatula for spreading paint or ink
Slice
Make a clean cut through;
Slit her throat
Slice
Hit a ball and put a spin on it so that it travels in a different direction
Slice
Cut into slices;
Slice the salami, please
Slice
Hit a ball so that it causes a backspin
Slice
A portion cut from a larger food item.
I had a slice of pepperoni pizza for lunch.
Slice
Commonly refers to a piece of pizza.
They sell pizza by the slice at the food court.
Slice
Easy to serve and consume.
The pie was cut into eight slices.
Slice
Not specific to any one cuisine or tradition.
We enjoyed slices of watermelon on a hot day.
FAQs
What is a pasty?
A pasty is a baked pastry filled with meat and vegetables, originating from Cornwall, England.
What are common fillings for a pasty?
Common fillings include meat, potatoes, onions, and other vegetables.
What foods are commonly served as a slice?
Foods commonly served as a slice include pizza, cake, pie, and bread.
Where does the pasty come from?
The pasty comes from Cornwall, England.
Is a pasty a complete meal?
Yes, a pasty is designed to be a portable, complete meal.
What is the purpose of the crimped edge on a pasty?
The crimped edge makes it easier to hold and eat, traditionally without utensils.
What is a slice?
A slice is a portion cut from a larger food item, such as pizza, cake, or pie.
Can a slice refer to any food?
Yes, a slice can refer to any food portion cut from a larger whole.
How is a pasty typically eaten?
A pasty is typically eaten by hand, often using its crimped edge as a handle.
Why are slices popular in casual dining?
Slices are popular because they are easy to serve and convenient to eat.
What is the advantage of serving food in slices?
Serving food in slices allows for easy portion control and sharing.
How are pasties typically cooked?
Pasties are typically baked until the crust is golden brown.
What is the typical shape of a pasty?
A pasty is typically semi-circular with a crimped edge.
Is the pasty filling cooked before baking?
Traditionally, the filling is placed raw in the pastry and cooks during baking.
Do slices always have to be triangular?
No, slices can be various shapes depending on the food item they are cut from.
Are pasties eaten hot or cold?
Pasties can be eaten either hot or cold.
How do you cut a food item into slices?
Food items are cut into slices using a knife or other cutting tool.
What utensils are needed to eat a slice?
Slices can often be eaten with hands, but utensils may be used depending on the food.
Can pasties have sweet fillings?
Yes, while traditionally savory, some pasties can have sweet fillings like fruit.
Can you freeze pasties for later use?
Yes, pasties can be frozen and reheated for later use.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
