Stuff You Should Know

Short Stuff: Pies

November 26, 2025

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  • The concept of pie dates back 8,000 years to ancient Egypt with grain-based 'galettes,' though modern pastry dough techniques were significantly advanced by the Greeks. 
  • The original purpose of pie crusts, particularly in medieval England, was often as an inedible container ('coffin') to seal in savory juices, with the rich often discarding the crust. 
  • The association of 'apple pie' with American identity is relatively recent, stemming from a 1928 print reference and a World War II GI catchphrase ('for mom and apple pie'), despite apples originating in Asia and Dutch apple pie predating American versions. 
  • Boston cream pie is technically a cake, retaining the name 'pie' because its predecessor, Washington pie, was a cake baked in a pie crust. 

Segments

Podcast Introduction and Ad Read
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The episode of Stuff You Should Know, Short Stuff: Pies, begins after several advertisements.
  • Summary: The initial segment contains an iHeart podcast identification and multiple advertisements for Abercrombie and TikTok science content. The hosts officially welcome listeners to the ‘Short Stuff’ segment at (01:10).
Ancient Origins of Pie
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(00:01:46)
  • Key Takeaway: Pies date back 8,000 years to Egypt, initially as rustic grain mixtures called galettes, predating modern pastry dough.
  • Summary: The Greeks adopted galettes from the Egyptians about 5,000 years later, introducing a pastry dough similar to what is used today, though they controversially favored meat fillings over sweet ones. The Romans then spread the concept throughout Europe, where it flourished.
Global Pie Variations Mentioned
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(00:03:23)
  • Key Takeaway: Many global dishes, such as Ethiopian sambusa and Spanish empanadas, are recognized as savory pie variations.
  • Summary: The discussion lists several international savory pies, including sambusa from Ethiopia, empanadas from Spain/Latin America, Spani Copita from Greece, Zwiebelkuchen (savory/sweet) from Germany, and Tortillere from Quebec. Hosts express a preference for both sweet and savory pies.
Medieval English Pie Practices
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(00:04:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Medieval English pies, sometimes called ‘coffins,’ often featured inedible crusts used primarily to seal in juices, sometimes with bird legs or feet left sticking out as handles.
  • Summary: English pies were historically used to bake savory fillings, with the crust often being inedible for the wealthy class. Open-topped pies were known as tarts. Recipes from the 1300s show pies baked empty, intended only for presentation.
Pies as Royal Entertainment
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(00:06:50)
  • Key Takeaway: A 15th to 18th-century European royal trend involved baking large pies that, when cut open, released live birds or musicians.
  • Summary: This trend is cited as the origin of the nursery rhyme ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’ mentioning four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. The pies were baked first, and the live contents (birds or musicians) were inserted before serving via a ‘pie hole’ or hatch.
Great American Pies Survey
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(00:10:53)
  • Key Takeaway: Pumpkin pie’s first known recipe appeared in a French cookbook in 1651, predating its appearance in the first American cookbook by over a century.
  • Summary: Pumpkin pie was initially made by baking spices inside the pumpkin shell itself before colonists adopted a pie shell. Apple pie, though associated with America, originated from apples native to Asia and was perfected by the Dutch centuries before becoming an American idiom.
Cherry Pie and Boston Cream History
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(00:14:25)
  • Key Takeaway: Cherry pie is one of the oldest pies still made, possibly created for or by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.
  • Summary: Boston cream pie is confirmed to be a cake, not a pie, named after its predecessor, Washington pie, which was a cake baked in a pie crust. The Boston cream pie was invented for the 1856 opening of the Parker House Hotel.
Key Lime Pie Origins and Favorites
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(00:17:19)
  • Key Takeaway: Key lime pie lore suggests it was created in the late 19th century by ‘Aunt Sally’ in Key West, possibly adapted from local fishermen’s recipes.
  • Summary: The hosts rank key lime pie, Dutch apple pie, and pecan pie among their top three favorites. An alternative origin story suggests the recipe was adapted from a Borden Condensed Milk Company ‘magic lemon cream pie’ recipe from the 1930s.