CALUMET, Mich. (WZMQ) – The pasty came to the Upper Peninsula with copper miners from Cornwall in the early 1840s. As more and more Cornish folks came over, the pasty became a staple of life underground.
180 years later, the pasty is still a favorite in local restaurants and dining rooms. I spoke to Jean Ellis of the local Cornish Heritage Group, who really knows her pasties.
“The Cornish were also the very first groups to be here, and they were, for a long time, more of the dominant culture. Somewhere along the line, around the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, people from Scandinavia started coming in more and more,” said Ellis
Pasty fest is a way to celebrate this fairly bland entree made with a shortbread crust, root vegetables, onions, and salt and pepper. The Cornish miners never use ketchup or gravy. However, as more nationalities arrived, tastes varied, and over time, condiments were added.
“We’ve always heard this myth about the melting pot. A better image is a salad bowl, because there are still things that contribute to the whole.”
Jean even wrote a poem about the pasty, and she shared the last stanza with me.
“The miners bought their shovels when they started their new lives. The pasty that came with them was the gift of Cornish Wives,” recited Ellis.
