Chess pie
Chess pie is a dessert characteristic of southern United States cuisine.
 A vanilla buttermilk chess pie | |
| Type | Pie |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Main ingredients | Pie crust, eggs, butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, corn meal |
| Variations | Lemon chess pie, vinegar pie |
History
Little is definitively known about chess pie's origins, but it has some similarities to English lemon curd pie. A recipe for similar cheesecake appears in Martha Washington's Booke of Cookery, from the mid-18th century.
Chess pie is most commonly associated as a dessert of the American South. Common types of chess pie are buttermilk, chocolate, lemon, and nut.
Etymology
The origin of the name chess pie is unknown, but many theories have been proposed. It could be a derivation of "cheese pie", the combination of eggs, butter, sugar and milk or condensed milk,[1][2] making a custard filling that is similar in texture to British cheesecakes and lemon curd;[3] it could be named after the town of Chester, England;[4] it could be from a piece of furniture used prior to home refrigeration called a "pie chest", in which pies were stored; or it could be an eggcorn of "It's just pie," due to a misinterpretation of the pronunciation "It's jes' pie" in Southern American English.[5]
Composition
The basic chess pie recipe calls for the preparation of a single crust and a filling composed of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs and milk or condensed milk. Some variations call for the addition of cornmeal as a thickener. Many recipes call for an acid such as vinegar, buttermilk, or lemon juice.[6][7]
In addition to standard chess pie, other flavor variations include lemon, coconut, and chocolate chess pie.[8] Some nut pies, including some pecan, fall under the category of chess pies[9] Traditional pecan pie recipes do not include milk or condensed milk in the filling, and are typically regarded as a type of sugar pie similar to British treacle rather than a milk containing custard (see Pecan Pie Variations).
References
- "Classic Chess Pie". Southern Living. Meredith Home Group. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- "Chess Pie". Allrecipies.com. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- Stradley, Linda (2015-05-19). "Chess Pie history". What's Cooking America. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- Olver, Lynne. "Food Timeline: history notes-pie & pastry". The Food Timeline. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- Linda (2017). "Chess Pie History". What's Cooking America. Retrieved 2017-06-18.
- "Southern Chess Pie: Tips and Variations". The Spruce. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
- "Old Fashioned Chess Pie". Southern Living. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- Schneider, Crady (2017-03-14). "Chess Pie: Nothing More Southern". Porter Briggs. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
- "Everything You Need to Know About Classic American Pie". Eater. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
