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EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PUMPKIN PIE—AN ICONIC AMERICAN DISH
Pumpkin pie is one of the most iconic American dishes, showcased on nearly every Thanksgiving table, gracing magazine covers and prompting numerous debates about the best pumpkin pie recipe. While some families use recipes passed down through generations, others prefer to try something new each year. Whether you use fresh pumpkin, canned pumpkin, or even squash, go for a classic plain pie or mix it up with maple and nuts, there’s no denying that pumpkin pie is a staple fall dish. So what is pumpkin pie, and how did it come to be so intertwined with Thanksgiving?
The History of Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkins first grew in Central America, but were cultivated in England as early as the 1500s, when European explorers brought them back as part of the “Columbian Exchange.” The name ‘pumpkin’ originally came from the Greek word ‘pepon,’ meaning large melon. The French changed it to ‘pompon’ and the English dubbed it ‘pumpion.’ It wasn’t until pumpkins were brought to what is now the U.S. that people started calling them ‘pumpkins.’
New Englanders ate a lot of pumpkin, partly because the crop flourished there in a way that it didn’t in Europe. They brewed pumpkin ale, ate it stewed, and added it to bread, flapjacks, and more.
People started to make a version of pumpkin pie as early as the 1600s. Cooks in France would boil the pumpkin in milk, strain it, and put it in a crust. In England, they would eat layers of sliced pumpkin baked with apples in a crust. New Englanders sometimes filled the pumpkin’s hollowed out shell with the mixture and warmed it over the fire. It wasn’t long until they were adding spices and sugar and with that, pumpkin pie was born. In fact, Amelia Simmons’ cookbook “American Cookery,” which was the first cookbook written in what is now the U.S., was published in 1796 and included a recipe for pumpkin pie that’s remarkably similar to what we eat today.
Is Pumpkin Pie an American Thing?
The phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ should maybe be changed to ‘as American as pumpkin pie.’ Apple tarts and pies are common around Europe, but pumpkin pie is decidedly American.
While French cookbooks from the 1500s include recipes for a version of what we now call pumpkin pie, and the English brought their version of pumpkin pie to the New World, pumpkin pie as we know it today is most popular in the U.S. Pumpkin pie was part of the Thanksgiving table by the early 1700s, and by the mid-1800s it was already a national Thanksgiving icon, appearing in poems like “Over the River and Through the Wood,” and in odes published in national newspapers.
It wasn’t until after the Civil War, when Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, that pumpkin pie expanded its reach from New England to the rest of the country. By 1937 it was so popular that a New York Herald Tribune headline read, “Pumpkin Pie Season Opens Tomorrow When 7,000 Pies Go On Sale in 31 Retail Stores.”
In 1929, Libby’s canning company, based in Chicago, introduced its first line of canned pumpkin. And boom––the convenience of canned pumpkin kicked off an explosion in popularity. Soon, retailers were selling frozen crusts and early versions of pumpkin spice––bags of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon.
While pumpkin desserts are still eaten around Europe and elsewhere today, pumpkin pie as we know it was invented in America, and Americans and Canadians eat more pumpkin pie than anywhere else in the world.
What is Pumpkin Pie Made of?
Pumpkin pie is typically made of a flaky pie crust, a pumpkin pie filling, eggs, sugar, and spices including cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Some enterprising cooks buy small, pie pumpkins and make their own filling, but millions of Americans opt for canned filling instead.
Is Pumpkin Pie Actually Squash?
Technically, all pumpkins are part of the squash family, so all pumpkin pies are actually made of squash. But to be more specific, one of the most common pumpkins used in canned pumpkin pie filling is the Dickinson variety, a close relative of the butternut squash. Some people wonder if pumpkin pie filling is actually made of sweet potato, but the vast majority are not. Sweet potato pie, popular in the South, is delicious and its own special dish!
Read More: Sweet Potato Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie
The Best Pumpkin Pies for Your Thanksgiving Feast
While baking a homemade pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving ritual for many families, sometimes buying from a bakery is easier. And with so many other dishes to make, why not take something off your plate? These pumpkin pies from famous bakeries around the country have you covered.
Pumpkin Spice Pie by Wick’s Pies
This extra spiced pumpkin pie comes from a beloved Indiana bakery that’s been around since 1944. The bakery uses the same family recipes as when it opened, including for this delicious pumpkin pie. All you have to do is heat it in the oven.
Betty’s Pumpkin Pie
This Minnesota bakery has a huge following for its old fashioned double crusts. They’ve even been featured on The Food Network. The flaky crust is finished with a classic pumpkin filling, perfect for any traditional Thanksgiving feast. Simply put it in the refrigerator overnight to defrost and it’s ready to serve.
Pumpkin Pie by Michele’s Pie
Since opening in Norwalk, Connecticut in 2007, Michele’s Pies has won 33 National Pie Championship awards. This classic pumpkin pie features fresh, local pumpkins—similar to the pumpkins settlers in Connecticut first ate at early Thanksgiving feasts.
Read More: Best Pumpkin Pies Nationwide
