As easy as apple pie

Well oved dessert has it roots in England, and several other European locations finds ANDRY VOSKARIDOU

Considered as an iconic American dish, the apple pie has been enjoyed and celebrated by American families at occasions such as Thanksgiving, July 4 and barbeques etc for hundreds of years.

But apple pie – the tempting fruit-based dessert we all consider as traditionally American – has origins in Europe, and more specifically in England – with some touches of French, Dutch, German and Ottoman cuisines that were picked up along the way.

This make sense, given the fact that apple trees are not native to the Americas and it was Spanish and English settlers that carried apple seeds (and their recipes for pies!) with them to the new world. Additionally, the spices usually added in the “traditional American” apple pie – cinnamon and nutmeg – all derive from central Asia.

So, if apple pie isn’t American at all, where did it all start?

A dessert invented in ancient Egypt consisting of a crusty cake made from cereal such as wheat and barley and filled with honey was the first and closest thing to what we define as ‘pie’ today. Ancient Egyptian carved tablets also uncovered the recipe for a savoury chicken pie around 2000BC.

The first known complete recipe for apple pie goes back to England in 1381. It was listed in a cookery book by Geoffrey Chaucer, and involved apples, figs, raisins, pears and a pastry shell. It is noteworthy that sugar wasn’t even considered as an ingredient in early apple pie making, since it was a scarce and expensive commodity back then. Furthermore, the crust was likely made from a hard cheese – which is the reason why apple pie is often served with cheddar cheese today in England.

By the 14^th century AD, apple pies were a typical dessert in most cuisines of the developed world. During the 16th century, an English dramatist and poet named Robert Green, wrote the following as what he could think of as the utmost compliment to a lady: “Thy breath is like the steam of apple-pies.”

By the 18^th and 19^th century, due to the fact that they were easy to prepare, affordable and delicious, apple pies became America’s favourite dessert!

In France during the 19th-century, and more specifically at the prestigious Hotel Tatin, its co-owner Stéphanie Tatin created the Tarte Tatin (the most famous version of the French apple pie) completely by accident! She accidentally overcooked some apples she wanted caramelised for another dish and to cover up for her mistake, she threw a pastry shell over the “ruined” apples. Hence, the delicious upsidedown caramelised apple pie was invented! The tempting creation rapidly gained a special place in the hearts (and stomachs!) of its guests.

Later on, during the great depression, back in the US many Americans that couldn’t afford fresh fruits such as apples, used to make mock or ‘faux’ apple pies made from crackers as the texture and the taste of a traditional apple pie could be somewhat copied by using crackers and spices baked in a crust.

Apple pie, became a national symbol of the American cultural identity during the second world war when it was associated with prosperity, and the concept of ‘home’ by the press – as US soldiers leaving their country and heading off to war proclaimed that they were fighting for “Mom and apple pie”.

It is also well-known that apple pie was one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite pies.

Even though the most iconic staple of American cookery didn’t originate in America, one could argue that it still could be used as a symbol of its people – it could illustrate and represent that various cultures from all over the world can merge together to create something new and beautiful.

 

Original Medieval Apple Pie

As recorded by Geoffrey Chaucer

Ingredients

1 Pie crust

3 apples, peeled and cored (Core and peel the apples before placing them into pie dish)

2 tsp ground cinnamon

150 g cheese cut into small cubes (Hard Cheese)

4 tbsp butter melted

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 190C.

Next, roll out your pie crust and spoon the apples into the pastry shell. Ensure that you use a deep dish so that there is plenty of room for your apple pie mixture.

Mix the cinnamon, sugar, cheese cubes, and salt before sprinkling the mixture over the apples.

Next, you will want to pour the melted butter onto your pie crust before sprinkling it with sugar and taking it into the oven for forty minutes to an hour.

Enjoy!