Apple Pie Isn’t As American As You Think | Food: Now and Then | NowThis

Forget apple, the original pies were filled with oysters, fish, and even crow.

They’ve also been around since Egyptian times in 6000 BC — but they weren’t as sweet and buttery as the pies we love today. Original pie crusts were several inches thick and made with oats, wheat rye and barley. They were tough because it had to withstand hours of baking — and were referred to a “coffins.”

The Greeks invented pie pastry in 1304 BC, which was made with a flour/water paste. The pastry would wrap interesting fillings like oysters, mussels and tortoises.

But when did the cherished American apple pie come to be? It actually came from England somewhere in the 15th century. It didn’t start out sweet at all since sugar was pretty scarce in those times. In 1620, pie was brought to America by the pilgrims. Apple wasn’t that popular a flavor right away, but more fruit-filled pies did pop up since there were so many different types of wild berries and fruit.

By the 1700s, pie was served with almost every meal — and not just for dessert. George Washington’s favorite pie actually had a sweetbread filling. Sugary-sweet pies finally came around in the 1800s because the U.S. started refining sugar, which gave way to the delectable crusty creations we know and love today.  

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[Jacobify]

I love how they name "Apple pie" and don't mention it until halfway through, and then talk about how modern pie actually is American as no one else had sweet pie until us.

[majormana]

Tomatoes are fruit a savory fruit but a fruit

[nviz]

Hmm apples are sweet here though. But that's cool! I'd still argue they're American; american cuisine is a mix of cultures, what's brought over AND what those people's adapt and fuse whilst there in America. And it's important in America from a social standpoint. :) They just can't claim to have invented it, which doesn't matter so much. E.g. pastry - invented by China. And yes that spread to India and Europe and Arabic countries. :) But that doesn't negate what those countries did with them; France, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the Baltic countries and Eastern European and Turkey, Palestine...etc... So many countries and adaptations from whatever original pastry was. :) Puff pastry, filo pastry, baklavas, twists all sorts. I don't know that they were the only ones to invent it - but they're the origins for a LOT of countries. The cool thing about people is when they reach the same (or similar) conclusions but in different ways, and individually. E.g. a lot of cultures had some sort of bread/wheat food.