Pi Day is Friday, March 14 (aka 3.14). It’s a date when quirky math-minded folks tend to feign a viable excuse to gorge themselves on plenty of palatable pie pickings. But that’s understandable, given the goodness and versatility of available pie options. Seeing how the Mid-Atlantic region, in particular, has so many classic claims on various pies, you don’t need an excuse like Pi Day to indulge. From popular staples to uniquely original regional culinary concoctions, here’s a sampling of the most premium pie pickings in connection with Mid-Atlantic states.
Apple Pie
This quintessential American pie is pretty much a universal standard. States like Maryland and Pennsylvania in particular have an exceptionally large fan base, especially seeing how Pennsylvania is the fourth-largest apple-producing state in the United States.
Cherry Pie
It’s been said that if Washington, D.C., were a state, this would be its official dessert. Cherry pie remains an especially popular pick in association with the Fourth of July, with blueberry coming in as a close second. There’s also that fabled story about George Washington and the cherry tree to consider—a reason why this pie is famously served on Washington’s birthday each year. Perhaps the only fact related to that account is the abundance of cherry trees to be found throughout the region.
Chess Pie
While more often considered a staple of Southern Cuisine, chess pie has a pretty steady fan base throughout Virginia and Southern Maryland. Chess pie is generally comprised of a filling formed from scrounging together flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It may or may not include milk.
Funeral Pie
This sinister-sounding pie is pretty popular with the folks of the Pennsylvania Dutch community. So, what is it exactly, and why the name? In short, it’s a raisin pie. The “funeral” connotation emerged owing to the quick convenience by which it can be made. It’s a viable last-minute dessert choice, making it ideal to serve at sudden, unexpected social gatherings, such as funerals.
Hayman Sweet Potato Pie
Not to be confused with the similarly named white potato pie (which I will also cover), the white Hayman sweet potato pie is one of those Eastern Shore staples you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. More or less, it is sweet potato pie. What makes it stand out, however, is the use of the white Hayman sweet potatoes popularly grown in this region specifically. And that key inclusion makes all the difference.
Pawpaw Pie
Sometimes called “pawpaw pudding pie” due to its custardy, whipped texture, this underrated pie is perhaps most popular in West Virginia. As the name suggests, the primary ingredient used in this palate pleaser is none other than those all-too-elusive albeit abundantly available pawpaw fruits. Pawpaw pies were eaten by early colonial settlers after having discovered the fruits and being introduced to them by Native Americans who also enjoyed similar food incorporations.
Peach Pie
Peaches are one of those fruits that you either love or hate. But peach pie just happens to be Delaware’s state dessert. It was designated such officially in 2009. It’s the perfect pick as it commemorates the state’s long-time associated history with peach farming.
Peanut Pie
Virginia’s state pie is arguably more unique than Delaware’s peach pie. It’s the peanut pie, which again pays tribute to the state’s long-time farming association of the subject crop utilized in the recipe. Originally introduced to the New World by slaves in the 18th century, this pie is big in Southern Cuisine but also in that of the Tidewater region, which includes the Atlantic Plain (east of the Atlantic Seaboard, the state of Delaware, the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland’s Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland, Eastern Virginia).
Shoofly Pie
This is the official state pie of both Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Another derivative of the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, this pie was conceived in 1870 in light of the nation’s Centennial celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
White Potato Pie
While we’re talking about state pies, here’s Maryland’s claim to one. This lesser-known concoction can be traced back to the state’s long-ago tobacco-crop associations and a need to utilize the abundance of potatoes that were grown rotationally with the aforementioned. While not as popular as it once was, you can still find white potato pie served up in some areas of the state (and surrounding states). Or you can even make one yourself. It’s pretty simple, in fact, like making a pumpkin pie only with mashed potatoes.
Whoopie Pies
The exact origins of the whoopie pie are inconclusive, but everyone agrees that they came from the Pennsylvania Dutch community. Whether it was the one from Pennsylvania, Maine, or Massachusetts remains a mystery. All the same, they are just as well-loved in Pennsylvania as anywhere else.
Given how they were derived from surplus cake batter, it may be argued that whoopie pies aren’t truly pies in the traditional sense. But the reality is that pies come in many shapes, forms, and flavors. Some, like tomato pies, chicken pot pies, shepherd’s pies, hand pies, fried pies, and others, are by no means the sweet desserts we commonly consider. In truth, anything “pious” goes on Pi Day.