Holidays in the United States just aren’t the same without pumpkin pie. Of course, where would Starbucks be without its pumpkin spice lattes? When you think about it, who would want to fill a pie with squash? In medieval times, pies looked much different than the ones we know today, and people didn’t eat the crust. Instead, pie crusts were made of a dough that was thick and bland, not flaky and buttery. That’s because the crust was a serving tool used to scoop out the contents, after which the crust was tossed. That all ended in the 15th century, when European settlers began making pies the way we know today, and that included eating the crust. As for pumpkin pie, it took Europeans years to warm up to using pumpkins as pie filling. It wasn’t until the 18th century that sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg were plentiful and affordable. That’s when the pumpkin pie really took off, eventually becoming a favorite for the American colonists. Today, pumpkin pie is a mainstay of American cuisine and Thanksgiving feasts.
