The first pies were made by early Romans. They may have learned about pie making from the Greeks. These pies were sometimes made in “reeds”, which were used for the purpose of holding the filling, and were not eaten.
The Romans spread the word about pies around Europe and the word “pie” became a popular word in the 14th century. The first pie recipe was also published by the Romans.
Pies first appeared in England as early as the twelfth century. The early pies were mostly meat pies. There was actually more crust than filling. Often these pies were made from fowl and the fowl’s legs were left to hang over the side of the dish and used as handles. Fruit pies were probably first made in the 1500s. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I made the first cherry pie.
Pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early settlers cooked their pies in long narrow pans. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts were often not eaten, but simply used to hold the filling during baking.
Over the years, pie has become what it is today —“the most traditional American dessert”. Pie has become so much a part of American culture that we now often use the phrase “as American as apple pie*”.
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