Let’s be real, we all know that Michigan has an abundance of lakes and that Detroit isn’t called the “Motor City” for nothing. But what about the delicious, if not at least interesting, food that is also specific to Michigan?
I had three Illinois Natives taste-test three unique foods from Michigan to see if they’re really as delicious as us Michiganders think. Each food was rated on a scale from 1-10, 1 being “wanting to puke” and 10 being “the best thing ever tasted”.
1. Faygo’s Rock & Rye
Let’s set one thing straight–it’s called “pop”, not “soda”. Nonetheless, this soft drink, distributed out of Detroit, is designed to taste like a dreamy vanilla cream soda mixed with cherry cola.
Faygo, established in 1907, has a wide variety of flavored soft drinks such as cola, orange, cotton candy and candy apple. Faygo is a beloved staple in Michigan foods (or in this case, drinks).
Rock & Rye unanimously failed the taste-test, having smelled–and tasted–identical to “bubble gum toothpaste”. Not exactly what the creators at Faygo were going for, I’m sure, but at least it didn’t make my Illinoisan taste testers want to puke. Still, this flavor of pop has been around since the 1920s, so obviously most Michiganders have no problem with the smell or the taste.
Rating: 3/10
2. Mackinac Island Fudge Ice Cream
Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) is located in Lake Huron, right between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. People travel from all over the country to stay at the luxury Grand Hotel, tour Fort Mackinac, and most importantly, taste the rich, world-famous fudge.
Because Mackinac Island is about a five hour drive from Grand Valley, I decided to have my taste-testers try the next best thing: Mackinac Island fudge ice cream.
It is comparable to other flavors such as Moose Tracks but much simpler, only consisting of fudge-swirled vanilla ice cream and decadent fudge chunks. It received comments such as “I could eat an entire carton of this on a bad day” and “the fudge tastes like a brownie, but more chocolaty than a brownie”.
On a good or a bad day, this ice cream will satisfy your Mackinac Island fudge cravings when a spontaneous road trip up north is out of the question.
Rating: 8/10
3. Pasty’s
Now, not to get them confused with pasties, pasty’s were originally brought to Michigan in the 1800s when miners from Cornwall, England immigrated to the Upper Peninsula.
Pasty’s are basically a pot pie without the pot or the gravy, and were intended to be a warm, filling lunch for the men who worked in the mines. They typically include some kind of meat, potatoes, and rutabaga. Though Pasty’s weren’t technically invented in Michigan, it is still a cultural mark for the Upper Peninsula.
The three Illinois natives tasted pasty’s that contained beef, pork, potatoes and rutabaga. The flaky pie crust and warm fillings were a hit, however, it was agreed that it was a little too dry and needed some sort of sauce. People who live in the Upper Peninsula, or “Yoopers” as Michigan natives refer to them, will often eat pasty’s with ketchup, but it is also common to eat them with gravy.
It was agreed that the pasty’s would have received a perfect score of 10 out of 10 if they had been served with gravy. Regardless, if they’re good enough for 19th century miners, they’re good enough for us 21st century food lovers.
Rating: 8/10
So there you have it. We got to hear some honest Illinois opinions and what they truly think about our beloved Michigan favorites. Luckily, none of the foods made the taste-testers want to vomit (though we came a little close with the Faygo). Although none of the foods got a perfect score from the Illinoisans, they will always be a 10/10 in the hearts of Michiganders.