Americans love desserts. From chocolate chip cookies and brownies to fudge and Jell-O, they have favorite desserts for each and every occasion. While it’s hard to choose between all the amazing desserts that the country has to offer, for them, nothing is better than pie. And it seems that the rest of the country agrees.
When the average American lists his or her favorite desserts, they tend to be ice cream, cake, cookies and, you guessed it, pie. Even better… you can combine two of America’s favorite desserts for pie à la mode. According to the American Pie Council, about 186 million pies are sold each year in grocery stores alone. Now that’s a lot of pie!
We decided to dig deeper into the history of some of America’s favorite pies. We explored how they were first made and why they are so special to Americans. Check out this fun, and very literal, pie chart to see where your favorite pie ranks in America’s eyes.
1. Apple Pie
Although England has a long history of making meat and fruit pies, and it was the inspiration for the American versions, there is nothing that is more synonymous with American desserts than the apple pie. In the United States, apple pies are found everywhere from big grocery shops and restaurants to coffee shops and home bakers, baked until the double crust is golden brown, filled with cinnamon-sugar coated apples. Homemade American apple pie is a source of great pride, causing arguments about which apple variety is the most suitable for the best pies.
2. Pot Pie
Pot pie is a popular dish with a long and vivid history, dating back to the Roman Empire, when it was regularly served at banquets. The savory pies are always filled with meat such as chicken, beef, lamb, or turkey, along with vegetables such as peas, potatoes, and carrots. Pot pie is characterized by its top crust, which is traditionally made with flaky pastry. The ancient custom of pot pie was revived in 16th-century England, when cooks used to make meat pies with tiny, gooseberry-stuffed birds on the inside. The popularity of pot pies soon spread to other countries, so in the 19th century, Americans became obsessed with a pot pie that featured robins in it.
3. Pecan Pie
One of the hallmarks of traditional American cuisine is the classic pecan pie. It consists of a thin pastry crust that is topped with a mixture of eggs, butter, flour, a sweetener such as brown sugar, syrup, or molasses, and a handful of halved or chopped pecans. When baked, pecan pie should have the consistency of a thick, silky custard with a pronounced caramel taste. When it initially appeared in written form at the end of the 19th century, it was mostly associated with the American South, but today it represents an authentic American dessert, traditionally prepared on Thanksgiving Day.
4. Key Lime Pie
Key lime pie is a glass-green sweet and sour dessert originating from the Florida Keys. It consists of intensely aromatic Key lime juice, condensed milk, and eggs that are mixed together into a custard. The custard is poured into a buttery crust made from graham crackers and topped with sweet, whipped cream. The spicy and acidic flavors of the limes provide a great contrast to sugar and sweet cream. Key lime, also known as citrus aurantifolia, Mexican lime, and West Indian lime is a fruit indigenous to Malaysia, and it has been connected to Florida since the 1830s when a botanist named Henry Perrine started planting them on Florida's Indian Key.
5. Cherry Pie
Cherry pie is an American classic that's beloved in North America and Europe, consisting of a pie crust that's filled with cherries and topped with a lattice crust or regular pie crust top. Morello cherries are most commonly used, but the pie can also be prepared with other types such as black cherries. Once baked, cherry pie is traditionally served with a cloud of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream on the side. This dessert is also often mentioned in pop culture – most notably in the TV show Twin Peaks. In the US, the National Cherry Pie Day is celebrated on George Washington Day, also known as Presidents' Day.
