In 2019 Melissa Watt, a Public History student at Penryn Campus, was on a placement scheme with Cornish Story researching the contemporary and historical significance of the Cornish pasty. Her work was presented in the form of a film entitled ‘Pasties, People and Politics: Deconstructing the Cornish Identity’ . The film now on Youtube was based on a discussion with Enid Rose and Ross Allen with input from the chef Sanjay Kumar and the historian Todd Gray with film support by Froshie Evans, Hannah Macneill and Daniel Stockton. It is envisaged as the first in a series of studies by Cornish Story exploring iconic markers of Cornish identity in the past and present.
I enjoyed this video. I live in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan and many Cornish miners immigrated here starting in the 1800’s to work in the copper mines. My Great Great Grandmother Annie Irene (Hocking) Grove immigrated here from Redruth in 1901 with her parents and brothers. The pasty came across the ocean with all those Cornish miners and pasties are still a big part of the local Identity here. Ours differ from the traditional Cornish pasties because they usually have a mixture of roughly ground beef and pork that is even sold in grocery stores as “Pasty meat” They also have diced potatoes, rutabaga, onion and sometimes carrot. It is a food I have grown up with and my Grandmother just made pasties a few weeks ago. I love how such a simple food can connect cultures across oceans. It was a part of my ancestors culture that has survived to become a part of my culture.
Hello Stacy. Glad that you enjoyed the video and thanks so much for sharing your family stories. We would like to develop our Global Kernow series with articles from destinations around the world. Something on Michigan would be great if you are interested in being involved. Cornish Story (cornishstudies@exeter.ac.uk}