In Real del Monte, Mexico, Isabel Arriaga Lozano skillfully prepares a small pastry filled with a hearty combination of meat, potatoes, and chili peppers. This snack, known as a “paste” (pronounced PAH-stay), has a deep-rooted legacy in the region.

The paste originated in this mining town located in the central state of Hidalgo during the 1820s, brought to life by British miners. Over time, it evolved into a cherished local dish. Each year, food lovers gather in Real del Monte to participate in the International Paste Festival, celebrating its rich culinary heritage.

Throughout Mexico, pastes are well-loved, featuring a variety of fillings that range from the spicy Mexican mole to sweeter options, such as pineapple or blueberry combined with cheese. An interesting aspect of the pastes’ history lies in a graveyard perched atop a cobblestone hill, where approximately 700 graves with distinctly English names can be found. These memorials belong to the miners who arrived in Mexico in 1824 to mine precious metals like silver, copper, and gold.

These miners hailed from Cornwall, England, which had a vibrant mining community of its own during the 19th century. They introduced the iconic snack to Mexico, known in their homeland as the “Cornish pasty.” Dating back to the 13th century, Cornish pasties initially catered to the upper class before becoming a staple for working-class families in the 19th century. Made from a simple shortcrust pastry, they were filled with economical cuts of meat, potatoes, rutabaga, and onion. The pastries were crimped along the edges, allowing the miners to handle their meals conveniently while working in the mines, preventing their lunches from getting dirty.

Isabel Arriaga, who has been making pastes for three decades, describes the dish as an essential part of life in Real del Monte. After marrying into a family of paste makers, she took charge of the business upon her husband’s passing. “Around 50% of us here make a living from this,” she stated, emphasizing the unique ingredient that enhances every paste. “Above all, it’s the love we incorporate into every paste that truly makes it great,” she added.

Arriaga noted that pastes have thrived due to the “Mexicanization” of their ingredients, adding a spicy touch that distinguishes them from their Cornish counterparts. “In Mexico, we always seek that spicy flavor… we include peppers and parsley,” she explained.

In fact, pastes are so integral to the culture of Real del Monte that they have their very own museum. “The paste arrived in 1824 with the English miners from Cornwall who came to work in the mines of Real del Monte,” shared Epifanio Garcés Torres, director of the town’s Paste Museum. “The first Englishwoman to bake one here was Mary Jenkins in 1824.”

This year’s paste festival showcased a diverse array of treats. While U.K. pastes now feature fillings such as “full English breakfast,” “steak and ale,” or “lamb and mint,” the Mexican flair was evident in the offerings available this year, such as frijoles (beans), mole sauce, or Mexican-style tuna, all with the signature addition of chili pepper.

“They’re delicious,” remarked a visitor at the festival. Colorful flags representing Mexico, Britain, and Cornwall adorned the festival, shining a light on the unique link between these regions that has existed for over 200 years, connecting Real del Monte and Cornwall across a distance of more than 5,300 miles (8,530 kilometers).