Pumpkin pie

Pumpkin pie is a dessert featuring a spiced, pumpkin-based custard filling. It serves as a major symbol of the harvest season. Most people enjoy this treat during the fall and early winter months. In the United States and Canada, it is a staple for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.

The preparation of the filling follows a specific culinary process. Bakers typically start with pumpkin purée, which can be canned or fresh. If using fresh pumpkin, many choose sugar pumpkins, also known as pie pumpkins. These are roughly the size of a large grapefruit. They are smaller than jack o'lantern pumpkins and have less stringy texture. The flesh is roasted until soft and then puréed. This purée is mixed with eggs, evaporated milk, and sugar.

Flavor is a critical component of the pie's identity. Most recipes utilize a blend called pumpkin pie spice. This mixture commonly includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice. The spiced custard is poured into a single pie shell. Most versions are baked without a top crust. Once finished, the filling ranges in color from orange to brown. Some people choose to top the slice with whipped cream or marshmallows.

The history of the pumpkin pie is a story of global exchange. Pumpkins are native to North America. They were exported to France and then introduced to Tudor England. The Columbian exchange helped create the modern pie. This process fused North American pumpkins with European wheat and sugar from the Canary Islands. By the seventeenth century, English cookbooks like Hannah Woolley's "The Gentlewoman's Companion" listed pumpkin recipes. These early versions used sliced, fried pumpkin with butter, sugar, and raisins.

Early American versions differed greatly from the sweet custard we know today. Early colonists often made a savory soup served inside a pumpkin. They also used pumpkins to create ale. A more modern, custard-style recipe appeared in the 1796 cookbook "American Cookery." This version used a sweet filling and similar spices. In the nineteenth century, the pie became a common part of Canadian Thanksgiving dinners. In the United States, the pie faced resistance in Southern states after the Civil War. Many Southerners viewed it as a symbol of Yankee culture. Consequently, Southern cooks often preferred sweet potato pie or added bourbon and pecans to the recipe.

Political history even impacted the consumption of this dessert. In 1947, the Truman Administration discouraged pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. This was part of a voluntary egg rationing campaign. The goal was to provide more food assistance to Europe after World War II. The campaign included "Egg-less & Poultry-less Thursday." Because Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, there was a large public backlash. President Truman even avoided serving pumpkin pie at the White House that year.

Pumpkin pie has also left a mark on popular culture and records. The 1844 poem "Over the River and Through the Wood" mentions the pie. Many Christmas songs, like "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," also reference it. In terms of scale, the world's largest pumpkin pie was made in New Bremen, Ohio, in 2010. That massive pie used 2,796 eggs. On the other end of the spectrum, Molly Schuyler holds a Guinness World Record. She consumed 50 slices of pumpkin pie in only 10 minutes.