National Cherry Pie Day – 20th February 2024 – Observed annually on February 20th, it is National Cherry Pie Day. This is a day for all cherry pie lovers to eat their favorite pie for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner.
The first pie dates back as far as 9500 B.C. in ancient Egypt. Known for their love of sweets and meats, Egyptians usually made pies with honey and dates, which were encased in reeds, as the filling of a pie was only meant to be eaten. It is believed that the Romans learned about pies from the Greeks who then introduced this delectable dish to the rest of Europe.
According to the American Pie Council, pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early colonists cooked their pies in long narrow pans calling them “coffyns” like the crust in England. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts often were not eaten, but simply designed to hold the filling during baking. It was during the American Revolution that the term crust was used instead of “coffyn”.
In the 1500s, fruit pies were introduced and became popular. The cherry pie is believed to have made its first appearance during this time and was presented to Queen Elizabeth I. Pies first came to America with the early English settlers, along with cherry trees, which were different from those that became native. The tradition of not eating the pie casing was still maintained. But it was during the American Revolution between 1775 and 1783 that the term ‘coffyn’ changed to ‘crust’ and, not long after, became something to eat as part of your pie and not just to protect or store its content.
The cherry pie is one of America’s favorite pie fillings, traditionally made with tart cherries instead of sweet ones, morello cherries, or native black cherries. This tasty dessert is great with large amounts of ice cream or cream, whipped or poured.
Source: National Today
