chess pie

English
a slice of a coconut chess pie

Etymology

Uncertain; most likely from cheese pie;[1][2][3] early versions were similar in texture to British lemon curd pies or cheesecakes, and earlier "cheesecakes" often lacked cheese, instead resembling modern chess pies or chess cakes. Other theories include:

  • from a Southern pronunciation of (it's) jes' pie, as it contrasts with flavored pies like pecan, cherry, chocolate, etc.[2][3]
  • from chest pie, as the high sugar content means it can be stored in a "pie chest" (pie safe) rather than needing refrigeration.[2][3]
  • from some association with the game of chess.[3]
  • from Chester, England.[4]

Pronunciation

Noun

chess pie (countable and uncountable, plural chess pies)

  1. (Southern US, Midland US) A pie made with eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, and cornmeal.

See also

References
  1. “chess pie”, in Dictionary of American Regional English‎, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2019, Quarterly Update 17.
  2. Linda (2021 December 7 (last accessed)) “Chess Pie History”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name)‎, What's Cooking America
  3. The Editors of Southern Living, Southern Living 1,001 Ways to Cook Southern: The Ultimate Treasury Of Southern Classics (2017, Time Inc. Books, →ISBN), page 166
  4. Lynne Olver, Food Timeline: history notes-pie & pastry, in The Food Timeline (2018-02-21)
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.