Do you like apple pie?
Here are some yummy apple pie facts.
Did you know that...
• It's believed the first apple pie was made in England—over six hundred years ago!
• An Apple Pie for Dinner is based on a folk tale from England called "The Apple Dumpling." A dumpling is a ball of dough that is baked or boiled. Many years ago, a dumpling filled with fruit was a tasty treat.
• Early English apple pies had no sugar. Sugar cost too much. Sweet fruits, like figs, were added instead.
• English settlers brought apple-pie-making to America.
• Early American apple pies had a take-off crust. First, the apples were baked in the crust. Then the top crust was lifted off. Sugar and spices were added. The top crust was put back on. Then the pie was served.
• Settlers of the American west made mock apple pie. They had no apples. They used crackers and special spices instead. They thought it tasted like real apple pie. Some people still make mock apple pie today.
• Granny Smith is also the name of a kind of apple. It has bright green skin. It's a firm, crisp apple. It's one of the very best apples for making pie.
• There really was a Granny Smith. Maria Ann Smith was born in England in 1799, but moved with her husband and children to Australia in 1838.
The Smiths were farmers whose specialty was apples. In 1868, Mrs. Smith, also well known for her fruit pies, developed a new type of apple.
It is believed that she accidentally crossed a wild European crabapple with the more commonly grown orchard apple. The delicious new fruit was named the "Granny Smith" in her honor.
Granny Smith and her apples are celebrated every year in Australia with the Granny Smith Festival.
• Apple pie is often served with ice cream. This is called apple pie a la mode. Do you like apple pie a la mode?