Other Histories of Pie

Good Morning Pie Lovers!

Valentines Day is over, and Kemmy's is already planning their newest pie! Can you guess what it is???:) Here is a hint...What is the next holiday???


Today, I am showing you more pie history, that you would never even think was true!

The history of pie is rich in flavor! Pies have been around for thousands of years. We know this, since the ancient Egyptians kept records of their practices and pie is included there; along with all the mysteries and charm of those long ago days. The Egyptians would fill their pies with such ingredients as honey, fruit and nuts. The visitors to Egypt learned as many of their secrets as possible. The ancient Greeks were also some of the first to create the pastry dough. Romans soon caught on and were able to learn some recipes from the Greeks. The Roman people thought enough of the pie to make offerings of it to their deities. Since then the rich history of pie has grown while traveling to many different lands, and many people still enjoy pie.

Did you know that pie was originally a simple cooking and serving container fashioned of dough for containing, cooking, and preserving the enclosed ingredient as well as their juices? When a pie had a crust, it was at that time known as a coffin, although pies with no crust were known as traps. Large, short-sided pies and tarts and very small pies are tartlets. When someone made a pie of some type of bird, he or she would leave the legs of the bird outside the edge of the pie and used the legs for handles.

Original pies had a very hard crust and were very often to difficult to be eaten. The crust of the pie was used mainly for baking the pie as there were no pie pans back then. Think primitive pottery here...at times it was also known as bulletproof dough. 

Pies made their way to England and soon showed up in America with the first colonial settlers. They brought along cottage and shepherds pie. From the American natives, the pilgrims learned the many healthy fruits and berries. Women at that time conserved their rations by making round pies and shallow pies. During the 1700s, pie first saw one of its best celebrating moments while gaining popularity in many homes, picnics and fairs. Many people have enjoyed pie eating contests or pie throwing games. Pies and their recipes have traveled a very long way from where they began to this present day.

As pie has moved along through the years, it has been adapted to fit into every culture it has touched. We enjoy pie today made of many different ingredients, such as meats of beasts, fowl and fish, vegetables, berries, fruit and nuts as well as cheese, custards and creams of many flavors. Many generations have seen the passing down of family pie recipes and many are still secret today. An assortment of many different sweet and savory seasonings and ingredients are in included in pies. The smell of a pie baking can bring back fond memories of family and friends as well as build new ones. In homes the world over, someone will be baking a pie, while someone is savoring the wonderful aromas that make home so sweet. I love pie so much that I think everyone should enjoy some pie every day. -Brenda Moss

"May All your Crusts Be Round!" 

   Natalie*