Michigan pasties: ‘A taste of home’

Pasties, or handheld meat pies, were once a staple of miners for their warmth and nourishment underground. Taste of the Upper Peninsula, based in St. Ignace, MI sells about 600 to 800 pasties daily, baking the pastries onsite and shipping them across the region and beyond along with 17 flavors of its own fudge. “Energy is a big part of our business. It’s a must. We bake all our pasties for 43 minutes, we’ve got a big walk-in freezer, and we’ve got to heat this place,” says Penny, owner of the business. “As an individual, I support the Great Lakes Tunnel Project.” She adds: “I see lots of benefits—a big boost in our economy, a better way to get product from one place to another, the safety precautions they’re taking.”