Food History: Why We Eat Pie at Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

Why do we eat pie at Thanksgiving? ›

When settlers arrived in Plymouth in 1620, Native American tribes brought pumpkins as gifts and taught them how to properly prepare them for stews and pies. The importance of pumpkins (and squash) and Thanksgiving has been a part of the tradition ever since.

Pies came to the newly formed United States in the late 18th century from British immigrants who brought their longstanding tradition of meat and fruit filled pastry pies. And it wasn't until the 19th century when pies became the standard American Thanksgiving dessert.

The Pilgrims may have learned about some of these foods from Native Americans, but others were not available to the early settlers. The tradition of eating them at Thanksgiving likely reflects their affordability for later Americans.

By the early 18th century, pumpkin pie earned its spot at the Thanksgiving table as the New England holiday grew in popularity. Thanksgiving as a holiday gave thanks for a bountiful autumn harvest with an annual feast. It became an important holiday in colonial New England – and pumpkin pie was a staple.

The Romans took the concept of pies even further. They would make a pastry of flour, oil and water to cover up meat but this was intended to preserve the juices and flavour of the filling and was not intended to be eaten. A Roman cookbook from the 1st Century, called Apicius, mentions recipes that include pie cases.

When it comes to dessert at the first Thanksgiving celebration, there's no documented evidence of what the pilgrims and Native Americans may have had (if anything). But it's pretty clear they did not have pumpkin pie or any pie for that matter. The colonists lacked wheat flour and butter necessary for making pie crust.

The first Thanksgiving banquet consisted of foods like venison, bean stew and hard biscuits. And while corn and pumpkin had their place on the table, they hardly resembled the cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie we feast on today.

According to some accounts, early English settlers in North America improvised by hollowing out pumpkins, filling the shells with milk, honey and spices to make a custard, then roasting the gourds whole in hot ashes.

The colonists cooked many a pie: because of their crusty tops, pies acted as a means to preserve food, and were often used to keep the filling fresh during the winter months. And they didn't make bland pies, either: documents show that the Pilgrims used dried fruit, cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg to season their meats.

"Thanksgiving day is a reminder of the genocide of millions of Native people, the theft of Native lands, and the relentless assault on Native culture," says the United American Indians of New England. They've marked the occasion as a day of mourning for 48 years, according to Native Hope.

What is the most important meal on Thanksgiving Day? ›

Turkey. Some would say a turkey is the most important food item at the table. A turkey is the center of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Why Is Thanksgiving Dinner So Early? There are many reasons, but primarily: Historically, dinner became before supper; it makes for a more relaxed day; it's simply tradition; it's more convenient for traveling guests; and, of course, to watch football.

It was a way to celebrate the successful harvest. It's said that pumpkin was served at this celebratory dinner, but no one knows if it was a pie-like dessert or a pumpkin dish, but pumpkins were definitely involved! So, pumpkin has been the staple ever since – and we're not complaining!

The first version of pumpkinpie originated when British colonists sliced off the top of the pumpkin, removed its seeds, and filled the hollow with milk, spices, and honey. Baked in hot ashes, the end result was a sort of pudding rather than a pie.

Because of the pumpkin's association with the harvest, it increasingly became a part of the national harvest celebration of Thanksgiving as a pie.

Some historians say the early settlers were inspired by the queen's actions and roasted a turkey instead of a goose. The wild turkey is a native bird of North America. As a result, Benjamin Franklin claimed this made the turkey a more suitable national bird for the United States than the bald eagle.

While the shallow pie pan is most often used for baking a sweet pie, the deep dish version of the pie pan is used for savory dishes. The deep depth of the pie pan sides can ensure that your dish maintains adequate moisture levels and maximizes flavor.

As a way to encourage math and science education many teachers began the tradition of using a PIE to explain Pi to their students. A math education idea at its finest! Being that it is a circle, a pie provided a great way to show the mystery of pie: no matter how big or small the circle, the ratio is always 3.14159265…

As for its connection to Thanksgiving, like pumpkins, pecans are harvested during the Fall throughout October and November (via SF Gate). With Thanksgiving being the culinary holiday of the Fall, pecans and pecan pie on the holiday table seemed like the perfect combination.