VERY INTETRESTING: PIES

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Facts About Pies That You Didn’t Know

Can you call yourself a true pie lover? Can you tell your Pâte Brisée from your Pâte Sucrée? Do you know why mince pies were once banned? Who were believed to be the very first pie eaters in the world?

Pie facts for everyone!

If you want to truly impress your family, friends, and fellow pie fans with some great pie-based knowledge, read on to discover weird, wonderful, and fascinating facts all to do with the favourite British staple - the pie!

1. The Romans were the first to invent the pie

We’ve got a lot to thank the Romans for. Not only did they develop roads and drainage systems, invent cement and the modern-day calendar, they also were the first to figure out that pastry stuffed with a delicious meaty filling was pretty tasty. Yes, the very first example of the meat pie as we know it today can be traced all the way back to Roman times.

2. Pie crust was first used as Tupperware

Before the perfect buttery, flaky pastry was lovingly created, the lid of the pie had a more practical purpose. The pastry itself was so hard and tough that it was basically inedible but instead served as a tub to seal in the food and keep it fresher for longer and was known as the ‘coffyn of paste’. People would prise off the pastry lid and discard it, then use the pie as a container from which they could eat whatever was inside. Nowadays, we know that a perfectly baked, melt-in-your-mouth pie casing can be the best bit!

3. Pie theatrics

In medieval times pies weren’t just for eating. Cooks used to be tasked with coming up with inventive ways to create not only delicious food but also entertainment to please their Masters. So birds and even dwarves would emerge from pies with great theatrics, much to the delight of those awaiting their supper. We’re not sure we’d want to eat a pie that a live bird had been scratching about in, but each to their own!

4. Pies, or is it Pyes?

Pies were actually termed ‘pyes’ in medieval England. It wasn’t until the 1500s that someone had the novel idea of filling a pie with fruit rather than meat, and it is thought that the very first cherry pie was sampled by Queen Elizabeth I herself!

5. Mince pies were once banned

An ancient legend tells the tale of Oliver Cromwell, who had the rather lofty title of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth post the defeat of King Charles I during the civil war. It is thought that Cromwell viewed eating mince pies as a sign of extreme gluttony and therefore banned the consumption of them during Christmas. Luckily the ban is no longer in place, and we can enjoy overeating mince pies during the festive season once more!

6. Eating humble pie

While the upper classes could enjoy rich venison meat, the leftover parts (heart, kidney, liver) of the animal would be whipped up and put into an ‘umble pie’, for the lower classes. However, it’s thought that the true connection is derived from the French word nomble, meaning 'deer's innards.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking