A Guide to the Celebration of National Pie Day

One of the world's favorite desserts, pie appeals to most people regardless of age, gender, or ethnic background. In the United States and Canada, the most popular pies are: apple, cherry, pumpkin, lemon meringue and chocolate. Pies enjoy a long history in the United States. With the average American eating 6 slices of pie every year, it is only fitting that the United States should dedicate one day out of the year devoted to celebrating pies.

National Pie Day

On January 23, 2010, Americans will celebrate National Pie Day. Created by the American Pie Council in 1986, this commemorative day began in honor of Crisco's 75^th anniversary.

• Pies - Food Network Canada: Offers information on the background of National Pie Day.

• Holiday Insights: Discusses origin of National Pie Day and the reason it was declared.

Celebrating National Pie Day

National Pie Championships sponsored by the American Pie Council are held throughout the year in various locations across the United States and Canada. Pie contests are held during the year by other organizations as well. There are so many ways to celebrate National Pie Day such as: baking for family and friends, eating all you want, entering a pie making or eating contest, throwing a charity event or auction and making pie with children.

• APC/Crisco National Pie Championships:Enter the National Pie Championship to be held April 23 to 25, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.

• Great American Pie Festival: This festival will be held April 24 to 25, 2010 in Celebration, Florida.

• Pie Industry Seminar: The 2010 Pie Industry Seminar for professional and commercial bakers will be held April 22, 2010 in Championsgate, Florida.

• Meat Pie Festival: The Meat Pie Festival in Natchitoches, Louisiana is held every September.

• Worlds Greatest Grape Pie Contest: The Naples Grape Festival in Naples, New York in the fingerlakes region holds a Grape Pie Contest every September.

• FunFamilyEducation.com: If all else fails, make a mud pie with your children, invite other families too.

• Fresh Baked Fractions: National Pie Day is a great time to teach the concept of fractions to your child, using a pie as an illustrative learning tool.

• International Federation of Competitive Eating: Lists worldwide records of pie eating such as consuming 11.1 pounds of shoo-fly pie in 8 minutes, set by Patrick Bertoletti in 2007.

• Bliss Tree: Offers a wonderful chocolate pie recipe as a way to share National Pie Day with others.

• Crisco: Discusses Crisco's Feeding America charity and ways Americans can participate, such as hosting a bake sale and donating proceeds to the charity, or baking pies for the needy.

History of Pies

The early Romans were the first known pie-makers. The first published pie recipe was for a goat cheese and honey pie with rye crust. Most early pies were meat pies. It is believed that the first fruit pies, or tarts, were made in the 1500s. The English settlers brought pies with them to America. Since that time, pie has become the most traditional of American desserts.

• What's Cooking America: Informative time line and statistics on the history of pies which also includes older recipes for pies and crust.

• Food Timeline: Provides information on the history of pies and pastries, and various uses for the pie throughout history.

• Sustainable Table: Offers a complete history of pies in North America.

• Global Gourmet: Gives a short history of pies.

• Thanksgiving Traditions: Discusses how pie has become a traditional American dessert, and why it is associated with the Thanksgiving holiday feast celebration.

Pie Recipes

• Rush University Medical Center: Provides a heart-healthy alternative recipe for a “Mock” Southern Sweet Potato Pie.

• The Culinary Institute of America: Offers a recipe for key lime pie.

• Texas State Instructional Resources: Gives a recipe for easy chocolate pie.

• CooksRecipes.com: Recipes for various types of pie crusts and pie pastries.

• Homemade Dessert Recipes: Tips for making pies.

• Mrs. Bush's recipes: Recipe from Laura Bush for The President's Pecan Pie.

• State Fair Recipes : Lists recipes of past winners of the Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust Pie Baking Championships across the United States.

• Missionary Recipes: Recipe for missionary wife Sarah Smith's Meat Pie from 1838.

Pies can be baked, eaten at normal speed, consumed quickly, or thrown. One thing is always the same, however: the pie is the quintessential American dessert.