Meat pies have been a part of almost every culinary culture across the world. Some could even argue that the meat pie is the world's number one comfort food. Variations of this filling pastry can be found on every continent from Peru to Jamaica to Iraq to China, societies everywhere have taken this dish and applied their own cultural aspects to the meat pie. This just so happens to include the state of Michigan who received their rendition of the pie, known as the pasty, from the Cornish copper mining immigrants.
Since the introduction of the pasty to the settlers in Michigan from the Cornish, the pastry has added and taken on different elements making the food item specific to the region. The pasty is traditionally known for its ingredients consisting of beef, potato, onions, and rutabagas and can now be found in several different options including garden vegetable mixes for the health-conscious. The pasty is such a Michigan institution now, the state holds an annual festival and parade for the pastry on the Keweenaw Peninsula.