test your pie geography!

~ jama

           

This month I’ve been reading American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America’s Back Roads by Pascale Le Draoulec (HarperCollins, 2002).

Pascale is a journalist and food critic for the New York Daily News. She decided to follow the holy grail of pie, driving along back roads from San Francisco to New York, sniffing out recipes, pie makers, and pie lore. Pie is the quintessential American dessert, and every state has its signature pie. I loved meeting the characters Pascale met on her odyssey, for pie is an emotional topic laden with memories. She discovered that no matter where she went, people liked to talk pie.

               

How well do you know America’s pie map? Match up these states with the pies they are famous for:

 STATES

Maine
Georgia
Delaware
Ohio
Mississippi
Florida
Washington
Rhode Island
New York
Oklahoma
Michigan
Pennsylvania
Wisconsin
Oregon
California

 PIES (some are specialties of more than one state)

Peach
Pecan
Strawberry
Rhubarb
Apple
Cherry
Blueberry
Shoofly
Meat Pasty
Funeral Pie
Key Lime
Blackberry
Empanada
Sweet Potato
Pumpkin

1. Maine: blueberry
2. Georgia: peach
3. Delaware: pumpkin
4. Ohio: funeral pie
5. Mississippi: sweet potato
6. Florida: key lime
7. Washington: apple
8. Rhode Island: rhubarb
9. New York: apple
10. Oklahoma: pecan
11. Michigan: cherry
12. Pennsylvania: shoofly
13. Wisconsin: meat pasty
14. Oregon: blackberry
15. California: empanada, strawberry

SCORES:  

All 15 correct — Pie Expert (reward yourself with an extra piece)!
10-14 — Pie Lover (keep eatin’)
5-9 — Humble Pie (better get out more)
Less than 5 — Pie thrower (better duck)

   

What is your state’s signature pie? Any others that I haven’t mentioned here?
 

23 thoughts on “test your pie geography!”

  7. How bizarre. I grew up in Wisconsin and never heard of “meat pasty”… that’s sound gross. I also lived 7 years in Ohio and never heard of “funeral pie”… again ewww.

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  11. Wisconsin is also known for rhubarb, so maybe that’ll make you feel better. Funeral pies are common in states with Amish or Mennonite populations. It’s a raisin pie eaten after wakes, given to the grieving family.

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  12. Just like PIE….
    Save the BEST for last!
    Actually, it’s an ancient piece I dug up some years ago, scanned and displayed it for “Illustration Friday” assignment of CAKE (apologizing and saying some of us like pie better).
    Feel free to use George as you see fit in these final days of PIE!

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  13. The only one I knew was Key Lime for Florida. 🙂
    With the title, American Pie, I was sure you were going to write something about Don McLean’s song…

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  15. Fascinating.
    I grew up in Ohio and I’ve never heard of Funeral pie either. Your explanation makes perfect sense. 🙂
    Circleville, Ohio is home of The Pumpkin Show, so I just naturally assumed Ohio=Pumpkin.

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  16. I grew up in Hawaii and I don’t know if there is a signature pie there — could be coconut or macadamia/pineapple chiffon or something 🙂 . . .

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  17. There is a recipe for pineapple pie. :>) (I’ve been reading pie books, too, for story research.)
    Apple pie’s pretty big here in SoCal, too. We have two well-known apple communities, Oak Glen and Julian.

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  18. Welcome, Christine! (Love your userpic BTW). I imagine since California is such a great fruit growing state, they have lots of signature pies :). I think I’d rather have my pineapple in upside down cake instead of in a pie . . .

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  19. Thanks. :>) Pineapple upside down cake was my mom’s favorite. (I’m more into chocolate, as you can see…)
    Coconut cream pie might be more your style. :>)

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  20. OK. Hang on a minute. Meat pasty for Wisconsin??? Meat pasties are eaten in the Carribean. I’ve NEVER had a meat pasty in the midwest. Seriously.

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  21. I got my info from “The All-American Apple Pie,” which is an award winning lesson plan developed in association with the Home Baking Association. They also list Michigan as a meat pasty state. Perhaps they are referring more to its initial introduction to the U.S. via the first immigrants to that region, rather than what is commonly consumed there today.

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  22. I have lived in Pennsylvania for more than 20 years now, but I’ve never had shoofly pie. Well, I’m just a mud pie living in a shoofly state. 🙂

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  23. I think I had shoofly once while visiting Amish country in PA. Actually all the food I had there was very good. Love the fresh produce and homemade everything — and family style eating.

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