Fun Pie Facts

Crisco and the American Pie Council have collaborated to bring you some Fun Pie Facts.

• A survey by the American Pie Council and Crisco® found that apple pie is the favorite flavor among one out of four Americans, followed by pumpkin, chocolate, lemon meringue, and cherry.


• An overwhelming 76 percent of Americans prefer homemade pie over pie from a bakery or pastry shop, restaurant, diner, or supermarket.


• The average American eats six slices of pie per year.


• The term "as American as apple pie" traces back to 14th century England. The Pilgrims brought their pie-making skills, along with the apple seeds to America. As the popularity of apple pie spread throughout the nation, the phrase grew to symbolize American prosperity.


• Before pie was America's favorite dessert, fruit pies were commonly eaten as part of breakfast in the 19th century.


• Other names for a pie are: pastie, oggie, piraski, piragie, patty, and pierogi. More common names include: streusel, tart, turnover, and crumble.


• The term "upper crust" refers to early America when the economy was difficult and supplies were hard to come by. Only affluent households could afford ingredients for both the upper and lower crusts of a pie; thus, the term "upper crust" was born.


• Shoo-fly pie is a wet-bottom molasses pie that was originally used to sit on windowsills to attract flies away from the kitchen.


• The American Pie Council is the only organization committed to preserving America's pie heritage and promoting Americans' love of pie.


• Crisco, developed in 1911, is the quintessential ingredient for creating America's favorite tender, flaky crust. The Crisco manufacturing facility is located in Cincinnati, Ohio.