Quezi

home made apple pie - courtesy cotaroba - CC-BY

Most of us have heard the old line, “As American as apple pie.”

But, just how American is it?

Actually, known recipes for this favorite stuffed pastry date back to the European Middle Ages, long before there was an America.  And since the ancient Romans and Greeks were noted growers of apples, it would be a surprise if they didn’t have a version of this “American classic” too.

Pie, the filling and baking of sweet fruit or savory meat and spices in casings of flour, fat, and water is a very ancient practice. The basics of pies and  tarts have changed little throughout the ages.

As a favored dish of the English, pies were baked in America as soon as the early settlers set up housekeeping.

Beyond a mere love of the dish, there was a practical reason for making pies, especially in the harsh conditions endured by the first colonists. A piecrust used less flour than bread and did not require a complicated oven for baking. Even more important, was how pies could stretch the most slim provisions into sustaining a few more hungry mouths.

The most basic defination of a pie crust is a simple mix of flour, fat, and water.  Throughout history the quality of the ingredients depended upon the economic status of the cook.

Up through Medieval times, pie crust was often used only as a cooking receptacle. It was vented with holes and marked to distinguish the baker/owner. The crust was sometimes discarded, though it has not really changed through the ages, only the methods of eating it.

Recipes for apple pie (along with apples) were brought to America by early European settlers.

So, the facts of apple pie history make it about as American as chop suey,  or as Italian as pasta.

For more information and recipes for pies and cakes