That one time in Michigan: When a Cornish pastry became a UP staple

A quick history of the Upper Peninsula’s most famous food.

One of my favorite things about living in Michigan is all of its unique foods. Whether that’s the Detroit favorite Coney Dogs or the olive burgers you can only really find in Lansing, every region has that particular dish worthy of its local fame.

But to me, no Michigan food has captured a special place in my heart quite like the Upper Peninsula’s pasty (pronounced like past-ee, not paste-ee). The savory pastry is a meal that’s so deceptively simple looking but so delicious. With the weather getting colder, I’ve got a hankering for pasties, so this is a perfect time to talk a bit about their history in the state.

Let’s begin.

Early history of the pasty

To trace the UP’s history with pasties, we first have to go way back in time and across the Atlantic Ocean.

According to Michigan Technological University, the first textual reference to the pasty dates back to the 12th century. At its essence, the pasty is a handheld meat and vegetable pie with a closed crust (think like a hot pocket), ideal for eating on the go. While ancient recipes for pasties included all sorts of meats like venison and rabbit, over the years, the dish became attributed to the folks of Cornwall, England. The Cornish pasty recipe also became standardized: chipped beef, potatoes, rutabaga, and onions.

For centuries, tin mining was a crucial industry in Cornwall, and the pasty—thanks to its handheld shape—became the miners’ trusted lunch companion.

By the 19th century, Cornwall’s tin mines began to dry up. But the miners of the area got word of a new American state with a rugged peninsula full of bountiful mineral deposits: Michigan. So, in the 1840s, they packed up their belongings and set off to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Becoming Yooper cuisine

As the Cornish began arriving in the UP, they weren’t the only new ethnic group to the area. Many Finnish and Italian immigrants had also arrived, hoping to create a better life for themselves. But the Cornish, thanks to their history of mining in their homeland, had far more work experience than other groups and quickly ascended to leadership roles in the mines.

According to the History Channel documentary Miner’s Delight, the Finns and Italians looked to their Cornish supervisors as guides on how to behave in American culture. Seeing that the pasty was a regular part of their daily lunch, they also adopted it as part of their own cuisines.

Decades later, the pasty had become so entrenched in UP culture that many locals were no longer sure of its true origins, with the dish being attributed to the Finns and Italians as well as the Cornish. The different groups also put their own spin on the pasty, like the Finns, who substituted carrots for rutabaga in their version.

Even among Michiganders, pasties remained relatively unknown outside of the UP until the construction of the Mackinac Bridge in 1957. With its completion came a new tourism industry to the area, and pasties evolved from a homemade staple to one sought out by visitors at local restaurants.

Where to get a pasty

Is your mouth watering for a pasty yet? If you’re looking to get a taste of an authentic pasty, the best place to go is still the UP.

Northern Michigan shop Grandpa Shorter’s recommends heading to Muldoon’s in Munising or Lehto’s in St. Ignace for an authentic pasty taste.

READ ALSO: 5 things to know about Michigan’s famous Lehto’s Pasties

In the summertime, Calumet (one of the original UP mining towns) also hosts its annual Pasty Fest.

For those unable to go to the UP, Grandpa Shorter’s also recommends UP Pasties in Allegan and Superior Pasties in Livonia for some of the best Lower Peninsula pasties.