UK vs USA Pie! // why did Americans reject meat pies?

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[GirlGoneLondonofficial]

Fun facts for this video!

In the US, everything shown in these pictures would be called a pie. In the UK, you might call it a tart or something else, but that is what Americans think of as "pie, " which is part of the whole reason for this video on differences.

My claim is not that apple pie was invented in the US (it's not, as many of you have pointed out) - it's that apple pie has become synonymous with American patriotism in the states. :)

[frthlvfchrt]

Pies have a pastry lid. Without a lid, it's a tart.

[donsland]

Apple pies originated in England. The first written recipe dates back to an English Cookbook published in 1381 in which it was referred to as a “Tartys in Applis”.

[Ukhome-sp]

Rhubarb pie and custard is lovely. In fact we British use most home grown fruit in pies

[lynnejamieson]

I think to find similar items to what you are referring to as sweet American pies, in the UK you’d really have to take a look at tarts, like treacle tart, which I think has many similarities to a pecan pie only instead of pecans, breadcrumbs are used and instead of corn syrup, golden syrup is used but they have very similar flavour profiles…in my opinion. Then of course there’s jam tarts, Bakewell tart, custard tart, Devonshire strawberry tart, Scottish pineapple tarts, lemon tart, Ecclefechan tarts, coconut and raspberry tarts, almond flory tart, Scottish strawberry tarts, Congress tarts, butterscotch tart, cornflake tart etc. etc. etc.

We have many traditional open top sweet pies here in the UK we just mostly call them tarts, though they are even sometimes called cakes or puddings too, like the Welsh amber pudding. But for the most part in the UK a pie is something that has a covered top be that in either pastry or mashed potato and usually has a pastry base too (unless topped with mash, like pie) the only real exception to that rule that I can think of is banoffee/banoffi pie, which was actually based on or inspired by a US sweet pie recipe called Blum’s Coffee Toffee Pie, which was apparently quite unreliable and was only created in the 1970’s, so is not seeped in the UK traditional pie or tart rules. Though it is also often made with a crushed biscuit base like a cheesecake.

[gamekeeperscottageberkshire]

Growing up in the UK in the '70s, my mother would always make apple pie with whole cloves in it.

[michael-pnpo]

Traditional British sweet pies usually have a top crust and seasonal fruit: apple - cherry - gooseberry - blackcurrant- blueberry- rhubarb - plum - damson - quince ….. softer fruits often do not have a crust and may have frangipane - strawberry - raspberry - pear. Lemon meringue etc. are French influence.

[MisterChrisInTheUK]

Apple Pie is a British classic, not just an American thing.

[mrpad]

As a Brit, the first pie that I think of if someone mentions a fruit or sweet pie is apple pie.
It was something brought over to the USA by those from the UK, mostly. It's a traditional fruit pie and I think most British people would think of this first!

[lemdixon]

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing—
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the king?

The king was in the counting-house
Counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlor
Eating bread and honey,

The maid was in the garden
Hanging out the clothes.
Along came a blackbird
And snipped off her nose.

Sing a song of sixpence,
A pocket full of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds
Baked in a pie.

When the pie was opened
The birds began to sing—
Wasn't that a dainty dish
To set before the king?

[morbidsnails]

Steak and Kidney is my absolute favourite pie, served with mash, marrowfat peas and thick onion gravy.
Rabbit and black pudding pie is right up there too, I also love pheasant pie when I can source the birds.

[patrickskelton]

I thought pies without a topping crust are tarts eg. Bakewell Tart.

[seanmcmichael]

Ireland here .... My mother baked us homemade Apple TART (and Rhubarb).
Since then, I've only ever seen that same naming. These were/are overwhelmingly lidded. I appreciate the other comments on Pie/Tart differentiation, I'm just providing my own observations.

[timrobertson]

My favourite pie is steak and kidney. Favourite fruit pie is apple but must be Bramley apple, which is why I have an English bramley apple tree in my french garden. Best served with cheese.

[chrisaskin]

I have only one thing to say about pies, and it concerns pies in the UK (I don't know whether the same applies in the US), and that is, a proper pie has a pastry bottom, sides and top. All those establishments here in the UK that sell "pies" in some sort of earthenware bowl are just selling some sort of stew with a pastry lid which is a cop out.

[oliverwortley]

apple pie is actually british, and I consider it very extremely british. We always used to have a tesco or marks and spencer’s (whatever supermarket that sells nice deserts) apple or cherry pie with some cream after our sunday dinner at my grandparents every sunday.

[raycardy]

To me, the apple pie that I grew up eating in the UK contained whole cloves - it was always a competition between me and my dad to see who got the most! (We didn't eat them, just put them on the side of the dish!) I love all kinds of pie, especially steak and ale, and lemon meringue pie!

[Yewchoobarkontz]

I love the Stargazy pie pictures that are used to show Americans "look what disgusting sxxt they eat in the UK! “. As a middle-aged Brit I'd never seen or heard of Stargazy pie until about 12 months ago when it popped up in YouTube vids. I bet even in Cornwall nobodys eaten one since about 1843.

[hildajenkins]

A double crust pie can have meat or fruit inside. I grew up in Northern England and my mother baked both. Fruit pies were usually baked on a plate, we called it a plate cake.

[taylort]

Freshly picked gooseberry tart - a childhood favourite! Along with jam and lemon curd tarts, Simple and delicious. It would be nice to do a comparison of puddings