How Sweet Potatoes Pie Became African American Dessert

How sweet potato pie became African Americans’ Thanksgiving dessert

Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie is a recipe for a pie that has gone viral since it was first published. (Photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post) I would have daydreamed about sweet potato pie this week even if Patti LaBelle and James Wright hadn’t lit social media ablaze with a flurry of discussion (and singing) about a particular dish earlier this week. Aside from the fact that we love sweet potatoes so much that we won’t settle for just one side dish of candied sweet potatoes (which we call “yams,” but that’s another story) or sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving Day, sweet potatoes are synonymous with the holiday for millions of African Americans like me.

Yes, we enjoy this soul food staple all year long, but this is the week when the sweet potato pie is at its best.

Unless this is the case, the spread is instantly questioned, at least in African American homes.

When it comes to choosing between pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving Day, our nation’s pie split is the most pronounced.

It began hundreds of years ago, and it did not proceed in the manner that you may have expected it to.

(Photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey for the Washington Post) Taking stock of what was inherited from West Africa, our original country, is the most important step in tracing the history of African American culinary traditions.

The first documented shipment of sweet potatoes from the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean was made by Spanish traders in the 16th century.

A typical West African meal of some sort of starch served with a savory sauce, soup, or stew, typically made with fish and vegetables, was first experimented with by West African cooks in order to see if sweet potatoes could be used as a substitute for the other root crops that they used to make the meal (cassava, plantain, and yams).

For those who have prepared sweet potato pie, it doesn’t seem like much of a stretch to turn a savory mash into a dessert by adding eggs, milk, sugar, and spices.
First and foremost, the sweet potato was a total and utter failure on the West African palette.
Second, even if they like sweet potatoes, West Africans would hardly conceive of preparing them as “dessert” out of the blue.
Unfortunately, the notion of sweet potato pie’s origins in West Africa comes up short.
Aphrodisiac status was swiftly established, and it was even referenced in Shakespeare’s comedy “The Merry Wives of Windsor” (“Let the sky shower potatoes”) before making its way into the royal tables of England and other countries.
If someone depicted the King of England eating a sweet potato pastry with an euphoric smile on his face, that would be quite something.
May Evans’ sweet potato pie, which she sold at the RFK Farmers Market, is seen above.
The main difference was that Western Europe had a strong dessert history, and roots and other vegetables were just as common as fruit to appear in both savory and sweet pie recipes in that region.
After its publication in 1747, Hannah Glasse’s “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy” became enormously popular among housewives across Britain and her colonies.
Besides sweet potatoes, other foods were subjected to the same treatment: The recipes called for the use of Irish potatoes, parsnips, pumpkins, and squashes, all of which were interchangeable.

You will find strikingly similar recipes for pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and squash pie in the dessert sections of the iconic southern cookbooks used in those elite kitchens – “The Virginia Housewife,” “The Kentucky Housewife,” and “The Carolina Housewife” – if you flip through the pages of those elite kitchen cookbooks.

Using the same reasoning, Northern cooks liked to use gourds for their pies since they were easier to grow.
In Olive Hill, North Carolina, in 1939, the 13-year-old daughter of an African American sharecropper grows sweet potatoes (Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division/FSA/OWI Collection LC-DIG-fsa-8b33991), a tradition that continues today.
Dessert was not a regular element of the antebellum South’s meal pattern, which consisted mostly of boiled vegetables, corn bread, and buttermilk.
Desserts throughout the week might consist of a slice of corn bread with molasses poured on top, or fresh fruit, depending on the time of year.
It was a whole sweet potato that was grilled in the embers of a dying fire that served as the first sweet potato dessert in the slave cabin.
African American chefs were only able to make the shift from roasting sweet potatoes to baking cakes, cobblers, and pies with the invention of more economical and reliable stoves, as well as expanded access to processed components such as white flour and sugar.
When slavery was abolished, the ethnic and geographical divisions that existed between pumpkin and sweet potato pies were exposed in both national and regional media.
Sweet potato pies, on the other hand, were the pride of the South, as well as a favorite of African Americans.
While I recognize that sweet potato pie has a distinguished history, I also recognize that some of you will hold on to the belief that pumpkin pie is superior.

I’m sorry for your loss, but it won’t last long. Ultimately, it just means that I’ll be eating more sweet potato pie. In order for us to earn money from linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, we have joined the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program.

For many African-Americans, sweet potato pie isn’t just a dessert, it’s about family

Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie is a recipe for a pie that has gone viral since it was first published in the magazine. For The Washington Post, photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey I would have daydreamed about sweet potato pie this week even if Patti LaBelle and James Wright hadn’t lit social media ablaze with a flurry of discussion (and singing) about a particular dish. Aside from the fact that we love sweet potatoes so much that we won’t settle for just one side dish of candied sweet potatoes (which we call “yams,” but that’s another story) or sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving Day, sweet potatoes are synonymous with Thanksgiving for millions of African Americans like me.

Yes, we enjoy this soul food staple all year long, but this is the week when the sweet potato pie is at its best.
Unless this is the case, the spread seems instantly questionable, at least in African-American homes.
Thanksgiving Day is the time of year when Americans are most divided about whether to have pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie.
It began hundreds of years ago, and it did not proceed in the manner that you might have expected based on the circumstances.
For the Washington Post, photographer Deb Lindsey captured this image: Taking stock of what was inherited from West Africa, our original birthplace, is the most effective way to trace the history of African American food.
The first documented shipment of sweet potatoes from the Americas across the Atlantic Ocean was made by Spanish traders in the sixteenth century.

The first experiments with sweet potatoes were carried out by West African cooks as a possible substitute for the other root crops (cassava, plantain, and yams) that they used to prepare a typical meal that consisted of some type of starch served with a savory sauce, soup, or stew that was typically made with fish and vegetables.

Anyone who has prepared sweet potato pie will recognize that adding eggs, milk, sugar, and spices to a savory mash to create a dessert isn’t much of a stretch from that experience.
First and foremost, the sweet potato was a total and utter disappointment to the West African palette.
To begin with, even if they enjoyed sweet potatoes, it is unlikely that West Africans would conceive of preparing them as “dessert.” Euro-Americans were the ones who accomplished it.
Western Europeans, in contrast to West Africans, embraced the sweet potato with open arms.
Sweet potato tarts, the pie’s near relative, were elevated to an aristocratic position as a dessert as a result of Henry VIII’s ravenous hunger for sweet potato tarts.
If it had happened, I’m certain it would have gone viral.

Photo courtesy of Matt McClain of The Washington Post If Henry VIII specifically requested sweet potatoes to be used as a filling for that pastry, history is silent on whether or not his royal cook followed in the footsteps of his West African counterparts and substituted sweet potatoes, the new root, into old recipes that had previously called for other roots to be used.

However, a high-profile English cookbook produced a couple of centuries after Henry VIII’s reign offers a possible solution for how to make Henry VIII’s sweet potato tart: After its publication in 1747, Hannah Glasse’s “The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy” became enormously popular among housewives across Britain and the colonies.

Besides sweet potatoes, other foods were subjected to the procedure: The recipes called for the use of Irish potatoes, parsnips, pumpkins, and squashes, all of which may be substituted.

Simply flip through the cookbooks that were used in those elite kitchens – “The Virginia Housewife,” “The Kentucky Housewife,” and “The Carolina Housewife” – and you will find strikingly similar pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and squash pie recipes that are all found in the dessert sections of those classic southern cookbooks.

North American cooks loved to use gourds for their pies since they were simple to grow.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division/FSA/OWI Collection LC-DIG-fsa-8b33991 shows a 13-year-old daughter of an African American sharecropper planting sweet potatoes in Olive Hill, North Carolina, in 1939.
Dessert was not a regular element of the antebellum South’s meal pattern, which consisted mostly of boiled vegetables, corn bread, and buttermilk.
Desserts throughout the week might consist of a slice of corn bread with molasses poured on top, or fresh fruit, depending on the time of day.
It was a full sweet potato that was grilled in the embers of a dying fire that was served as the first sweet potato dessert in the slave cabin.
African American chefs were only able to make the shift from roasting sweet potatoes to baking cakes, cobblers, and pies with the invention of more economical and reliable stoves, as well as greater access to processed components such as white flour and sugar.
When slavery was abolished, the ethnic and geographical divisions that existed between pumpkin and sweet potato pies were exposed by the national and regional media.
Sweet potato pies were popular in the South, and they were also a favorite of African-Americans.
While I recognize that sweet potato pie has a distinguished history, I also recognize that some of you will hold on to the belief that pumpkin pie is the best dessert ever.
In the end, it simply means that I will be eating more sweet potato pie.

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The origins of a family favorite

Patti LaBelle’s Sweet Potato Pie is a recipe for a pie that has gone viral thanks to her popularity. (Photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post). Even if Patti LaBelle and James Wright hadn’t created a flurry of discussion (and singing) about a certain dessert on social media, I would have been daydreaming about sweet potato pie this week. Aside from the fact that we love sweet potatoes so much that we won’t settle for just one side dish of candied sweet potatoes (we call them “yams,” but that’s another story) or sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving Day, sweet potatoes are synonymous with the holiday for millions of African Americans like me.

We enjoy this soul food staple all year long, but this week is when the sweet potato pie is at its best.
Otherwise, the expansion seems instantly suspicious, at least in African American families.
On Thanksgiving Day, when individuals are asked to pick between pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie, our nation’s pie division is at its worst.
It began occurring millennia ago, and it did not proceed in the manner that you might assume.
(Photo courtesy of Deb Lindsey/The Washington Post) Taking stock of what was inherited from West Africa, our original birthplace, is the most important step in tracing the history of African American food.
Since the 16th century, Spanish traders have been transporting sweet potatoes from the Americas to Europe via two main routes: one to West Africa and the other to Western Europe.
One specific speciality was fufu, which is made by boiling a root, mash or pounding it, and then shaping it into little balls.

However, for two reasons, West African cooks were unlikely to have attempted it.

They didn’t like for the flavor of the sweet potato, which so derisively referred to as “the white man’s yam,” and they concentrated their efforts on consuming just the leaves.

That was something Europeans were known to do.

Western Europeans, in contrast to West Africans, were enthralled by the sweet potato.

Sweet potato tarts, the pie’s near relative, were quickly elevated to a higher level of sophistication as a result of Henry VIII’s intense hunger for them.

I have no doubt that would have gone viral.

(Image courtesy of Matt McClain/The Washington Post) If Henry VIII expressly asked sweet potatoes to fill that pastry, history is mute on whether or not his royal cook followed in the footsteps of his West African colleagues and substituted sweet potatoes, the new root, into ancient recipes that called for other roots.

However, a high-profile English cookbook produced a couple of centuries after Henry VIII’s reign proposes an alternative recipe for his sweet potato dessert.
Root vegetable “puddings” were created in it by boiling and grating, mashing, or slicing the vegetables, then adding butter, eggs, milk, and sugar before baking it in an open-faced pie shell.
The latest culinary techniques from England were quickly embraced by wealthy American colonial chefs, and the Big Houses on plantations in the antebellum South were no exception.
Using the same rationale, Northern cooks liked to use gourds for their pies since they were simple to cultivate.

In Olive Hill, North Carolina, in 1939, the 13-year-old daughter of an African American sharecropper grows sweet potatoes (Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division/FSA/OWI Collection LC-DIG-fsa-8b33991) Despite what was going on in the Big House, sweet potato pie took longer to become popular in the slave huts on the estate.

A slice of corn bread with some molasses poured on top, or some fresh fruit, would do for dessert throughout the week.
It was a whole sweet potato that was grilled in the embers of a dying fire that served as the first sweet potato dessert served in the slave cabin.
African American cooks were only able to progress beyond roasting sweet potatoes to baking cakes, cobblers, and pies with the invention of more economical and reliable stoves, as well as expanded access to processed components such as white flour and sugar.
When slavery was abolished, the ethnic and geographical divisions that existed between pumpkin and sweet potato pies were exposed in the national and regional media.
Sweet potato pies were the favourite pie of the South, and they were also a favorite of African Americans.
I’m well aware that, despite the high-class lineage of sweet potato pie, some of you will hold fast to the belief that pumpkin pie is superior.

It all boils down to more sweet potato pie for me in the end. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Network, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a method for us to make revenue by referring to Amazon.com and connected sites.

A taste of home

Soul food historians have written extensively about the influence that the Great Migration had on the diets of African-Americans over the twentieth century. Before emigrating from the South, African-Americans had been mostly involved in agricultural and agriculture-related businesses. The convenience of larger cities, the realities of fewer living areas, and the difficulty of access to plots of land on which to cultivate food have resulted in the abandonment of many foods and ways of life. The sweet potato — and the pie made from it — survived the loss of much of its culinary heritage. Baking a sweet potato pie may be a time-consuming operation that involves peeling, slicing, boiling, and removing the nasty sweet potato strings from the sweet potatoes. Sweet potato pie, in contrast to pumpkin pie, which can be created quickly and easily with the aid of canned pumpkin puree, requires more effort. One of the reasons African-Americans have opted to remain with the popular sweet potato pie is because it is easy to make. As Miller put it, “it’s just one of those dishes that brings back a lot of deep, deep memories of either familial settings or community events.” “It gives you a flavor of home.” It’s a little taste of what church is like. It has the flavor of family get-togethers. The places where you can get away from everything else that is going on in the world, you know the ones I’m talking about. Your relationship is strong, and you’re feeling the love.” Yes, it is correct. It is vital to understand the history of how African-American families adopted (and developed) the sweet potato pie, but the dessert’s lasting impact is much more about how it makes us feel when we eat it. Whenever you go through the door of a house where a sweet potato pie has been prepared, you will feel a strong feeling of belonging and affection. “Cooking is, at its most fundamental level, an act of love,” as Miller points out. Someone has stated that they are concerned about your survival. “I believe that sweet potato pie represents that to a large number of individuals.”

The surprising history of sweet potato pie that will make you think twice about pumpkin.

The instruments of a gynecologist’s trade. When you think of a doctor’s office, you might conjure up images of a cold and clinical environment. My imagination immediately goes to those oh-so-pleasant neon lights from my childhood. Consider the following statement from a doctor: “I want to plan our appointment in a way that helps you feel the most comfortable.” Suddenly, that dreaded yearly check-up doesn’t seem quite so bad after all. Urogynecologist Dr. Ryan Stewart of the Midwest Center for Pelvic Health recently polled his female patients for their opinions on the makeover of his office space.

What would you do to make a visit to the gynecologist’s office as pleasant and efficient as possible?

Thousands of responses poured in almost immediately after his post.

Including:

Empathy toward sexual trauma

The instruments of the trade for a gynecologist are as follows: A doctor’s office may conjure up images of a cold and impersonal environment in your mind. My imagination immediately goes to those oh-so-pleasant fluorescent lights. Consider what it would be like if a doctor said, “I want to plan our appointment in a way that helps you feel the most comfortable.” All of a sudden, that dreaded yearly check-up doesn’t seem quite so bad. Urogynecologist Dr. Ryan Stewart of the Midwest Center for Pelvic Health recently polled his female patients about the remodeling of his office space.

Ladies, I’m putting this question to you!
The smallest thing is not insignificant,” says the author.
He was absolutely correct.
The good news is that you may make your appointment to the gynecologist even more enjoyable by following these suggestions.

Improved privacy

The discussion of any part of their treatment with anyone (I’m thinking nurse, receptionist) in front of other patients should be avoided at all costs. Aside from that, patients should not be permitted to listen in on phone calls or take dictation. Some of the things I’ve overheard while sitting would make you laugh. The following is a message from Dr. Erin MacLean, MD, OB/GYN (retired) (@macdoin) on December 5, 2021. Many people recommended that interns should not be asked if they may watch while the intern is still in the room as part of improving privacy.

but another was included “I’m sitting at the table in my gown when this young man walks in and asks, ‘you don’t mind his seeing this, do you?’ While I gave my agreement, the experience left me feeling angry, and I never went back to her.” One participant said that their current doctor just switched from the thin, revealing paper gown to spa-style robes, which provided them with more privacy while also adding a touch of elegance.

Mental health screenings

Create a routine aspect of your test practice in which you screen for depression, domestic abuse, human trafficking, anxiety, and postpartum depression. My regular doctor tests for depression at every physical; it’s simply something that happens. Examine the emotional toll that birth control is taking. — Anschteeviee (@iamoutofideas12) on December 6, 2021 in New York.

Waiting until the clothes are ON to disclose important info

Create a routine aspect of your test preparation in which you screen for depression, domestic abuse, human trafficking, anxiety, and postpartum depression. At my regular doctor’s office, she tests for depression at every physical; it’s simply what she does. Inquire about the emotional consequences of contraception. 6. December, 2021 — Anschteeviee (@iamoutofideas12)

Ditching the pink

Make screening for depression, domestic abuse, human trafficking, anxiety, and post-partum depression (PPD) a regular component of your test preparation process. My regular doctor does a depression screening at every physical exam; this is simply the way things are. Examine the emotional consequences of birth control. • Anschteeviee (@iamoutofideas12) on the 6th of December, 2021

Offering pain meds

My wife, who does not use Twitter, has requested that I provide medicines. People should not be forced to ask or be aware of the need to ask. Anyone undergoing a cervical biopsy should be provided with the same set of painkillers and anti-anxiety medications that I received following my vasectomy. — Seldon the Hairy (@eschatomaton) is a Twitter user. The date is December 6, 2021. When it comes to potentially unpleasant treatments like as IUD insertions or cervical biopsies, medication is often only provided upon request.

More accessibility in the exam and waiting rooms

My wife, who does not use Twitter, has requested that I provide pain reliever. People should not be forced to ask or be aware of the need to ask questions. A cervical biopsy should be performed using the same set of painkillers and anti-anxiety medications that I had after my vasectomy. ― Seldon the hairy Twitter user eschatomaton (@eschatomaton) just posted: on the 6th of December in the year 2021. Patients who seek medication for potentially unpleasant procedures such as IUD insertions or cervical biopsies are usually provided with it.

And lastly … a variety of speculum sizes

A large selection of speculum sizes, as well as an introduction to the exam room, which includes a step-by-step breakdown of how the visit will go. It’s unlikely that most individuals will receive this, and the office personnel will never inquire as to whether this is their first exam. Furthermore, most people would not express any concern or tension if they did receive it. 5th of December, 2021, from Móniquita (@mvasquez owner) The prevailing view on Twitter is that you should also warm them up while you’re at it.

Dr. Stewart’s tweet did receive constructive criticism asking for more inclusion

We provide a large selection of speculum sizes, as well as an introduction to the exam room, which includes a detailed description of how the visit will progress. It’s unlikely that most individuals will get this, and the office personnel will never inquire as to whether this is their first exam.

Furthermore, most people would not confess anxiety or worry if they were experiencing it. 5th of December, 2021, from Móniquita (@mvasquez owner). While you’re at it, warm them up, too, according to the widespread consensus on Twitter.

You Sweet Potato, I Sweet Po-tah-to: The Origins of Sweet Potato Pie

Is there anyone who doesn’t enjoy (or at the very least knows someone who enjoys) the taste of sweet potato pie? Few dishes are more important to families across the country at this time of year than the creamy mashed potatoes and the decadent crust. Yes, the big bird is usually the center of attention. In contrast to this, sweet potato pie is another dish that has stood the test of time as an American classic that crosses geographical boundaries, political divides, and generations. With a long and illustrious history that stretches from the forests of Peru to the kitchens of the antebellum era, this traditional delicacy is particularly popular in Black and Southern households.

So, how did we come to this point?
It turns out that slavery was at the heart of the introduction of the sweet potato into this country’s culinary history, just as it was with the introduction of many other things.
The sweet potato flourished in the Southern United States after it was introduced to North America and Europe through the transatlantic slave trade.
According to food historian Adrian Miller, Spanish traders embarked on their journey to Peru, where they successfully introduced the vegetable to the rest of the world.
Cookbooks such as The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, which is written by a British author, are a good source of information.
After a while, wealthy Americans, including Southern homeowners with plantations, learned about the new culinary craze spreading across the ocean and wanted in on the action.
The pumpkin, on the other hand, gained popularity in the Northern states and, as a result of its lucrative harvest in the autumn, became widely associated with Thanksgiving by the late nineteenth century.
Although their masters requested elaborate baking rituals and concoctions, enslaved African Americans developed their own crustless sweet potato dessert using molasses and spices, which they served to their masters as dessert.

According to Miller, “eating sweet potato pie on Thanksgiving is a nod to a more modern culinary tradition.” As more African-American cooks gained regular access to stovetops, a true sweet potato pie began to appear more frequently on dessert tables.” As previously stated, Spanish traders transported sweet potatoes all over the world during the 1600s, including to West Africa.

According to Michael Twitty, author of TheCooking Gene, “‘Yam’ is definitely a term from Western Africa, where in several West Atlantic languages it refers to the verb ‘nyam,’ which means ‘to eat.'” He goes on to explain that “‘sweet potato’ is definitely a term from the United States.” “In Wolof, sweet cassava, which looks more like sweet potatoes than authentic yams, is referred to as ‘nyam-bi,’ which translates as ‘the thing that you eat.’ The words “yam” and “sweet potato” became synonymous over time among enslaved Black Americans, who were referring to the sweet potato because it was the closest thing they could find to a yam while so far away from home.

Following the Great Migration, many African-Americans who fled the South came from agricultural backgrounds and carried on their culinary traditions in the northern and midwestern United States after the Civil War.

Desserts such as sweet potato pie are one tradition that has survived for decades and is now being passed down from generation to generation.

Sweet potato pie brings back memories of a beloved cook, family get-togethers, and community events.” If you see a sweet potato pie on your holiday table this year, thank the chef for preserving a piece of history — and enjoy it!

Little Known Black History Fact: Sweet Potato Pie

Video Featured on the Black America WebCLOSED It was around the sixteenth century when British colonists from Europe introduced the habit of baking pumpkin pies for dessert to West Africa. While still in Africa, the practice was carried to the United States during slavery, when African slaves modified the dessert into something sweeter by utilizing yams and subsequently sweet potatoes. It just so happened that yams and black-eyed peas were two of the most prevalent foods served to slaves throughout the Middle Passage.

In African languages, the word for yam was either “Oyame” or “Yam Yam,” or a variety of other names with a variety of different connotations.
Sweet potatoes are members of the plant family known as Morning Glory.
In the late nineteenth century, Fannie Famer published a recipe for glazed sweet potatoes in the Boston Cooking School Cookbook, which was later reprinted today.
He published a list of more than 100 applications for the vegetable.
(1881 photo: A recipe for Sweet Potato Pie created by an African slave named Abby Fisher) Also available on the Black America Web:

Sweet potato pie is pumpkin’s Southern cousin

When it comes to Thanksgiving, according to Gregory Cole, a teacher with the Butler County Culinary Arts program, “Thanksgiving isn’t Thanksgiving until there’s sweet potato pie.” The Wichita Eagle is a newspaper in Wichita, Kansas. He was a grown man the first time Gregory Cole had a piece of pumpkin pie in his mouth. This Thanksgiving, he was serving in the army and stationed in a foreign country distant from home. When he noticed an orange-colored pie, his thanksgiving quotient skyrocketed to the sky.

“I said, ‘Wait a minute,’ and he did.
In his childhood, Cole, who is now a pastry chef and instructor at the Butler County Culinary Arts program, would only eat sweet potato pie.
Sweet potato pie is a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition in African-American and Southern households.
“Traditionally, people think of Thanksgiving as being centered around the turkey.
Because it is cooked using sweet potatoes and yams, a plant native to Africa, rather than pumpkin, it has become an African food tradition that slaves carried over to the United States and popularized there.
Sweet potato pie, for those who are unfamiliar with the recipe, is similar to pumpkin pie.
Sweet potato pies and pumpkin pies have comparable flavors, but where pumpkin pie is rich and creamy, most sweet potato pies have more texture and the filling is lighter and more airy than pumpkin pie.

It takes one giant sweet potato to create two pies, so prepare ahead of time.

The reason why you shouldn’t bake a single sweet potato pie is that you’ll have to share it with someone else, he explained.

Cole prepares everything for his family’s Thanksgiving dinner, with the absence of one dish.

In any given year, she creates at least 12, with four of them earmarked for a certain brother-in-law, who demands all four for himself.

A few added ingredients, such as a splash of whiskey or a little orange juice in place of part of the liquid and a sprinkling of orange zest, are popular among drinkers.

“Sweet potato pie symbolizes love,” says the author.

Sweet potato pie, on the other hand, makes you happy.” Sweet Potato Pie, created by Gregory Cole This recipe makes two pies.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake for an hour, or until the potatoes are tender.

Combine it with the rest of the ingredients in a stand mixer.

Small chunks of chunk should be present in the mixture, but no huge chunks should be included.

Put foil over the sides of the crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the pie is set.

Cut the cake into eight pieces and top with whipped cream, if you so like.

1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon sodium chloride Refrigerated butter (eight tablespoons) Ice-cold water (about 3 teaspoons) Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Work in some cold water into the dough, just until the dough begins to hold together.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes after forming the dough into a flat disc and wrapping it in plastic wrap.

Pie made with sweet potatoes and bourbon, topped with gingered whipped cream and toasted pecans There are 102 to 3 huge sweet potatoes (1 1/2 to 2 pounds) each serving.

ground cinnamon a quarter teaspoon of kosher salt a quarter teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated dried ginger Using a pinch of ground cloves handmade or store-bought graham cracker pie crust (about 10 inches in diameter) To make the topping, combine the following ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream (optional) granulated sugar (about 2 teaspoons) a half teaspoon of finely grated dried ginger To garnish, use toasted pecans.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Cook for about 1 hour, or until you can see fluids bubbling where you poked the sweet potatoes, on a baking sheet, until the potatoes are soft and tender.
Peal and coarsely chop the sweet potatoes when they have cooled to room temperature.
Process for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is completely smooth.
The mixture should begin to seem light and fluffy at this point.
Process the last components one more time to ensure that they are completely combined and incorporated.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow for cooling to reach room temperature.
In a large mixing basin, whisk together the cream, sugar, and ginger until well combined.

Whip the mixture with a whisk or an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Put an even layer of whipped cream on top of the pie and top with toasted nuts to finish it off. According to the Associated Press The original version of this story was published on November 11, 2014 at 6:10 p.m.

Why Sweet Potato Pie Is The Defining Dessert of the South

MAITANE ROMAGOSA created this image for THRILLIST. Growing up in a tiny rural community just outside of Augusta, Georgia, Southern cuisine has always been a significant part of my family’s traditions. As I reflected on the innumerable times I’d stood by and watched my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whiz around in their kitchens cooking meals for the day, I realized that some of my fondest recollections were of days when dessert was the major event. My grandmother worked as a baker for several years before she retired, so I’ve always believed the ability to create delicious pastries to be a genetic trait.

However, every year over the holidays, her kitchen is where the magic happens, and although family gatherings this year look very different from previous years, I find that food continues to bring us together despite our geographical distance.
Sweet potato pie incorporates all three of these characteristics since it is a dessert that is there throughout times of joy and even loss as a comforting culinary option.
Due to the delicate nature of the dish, only a few people in my family are trusted to prepare it, and those who are competent of doing so don’t mind sharing it with those they hold dear, such as numerous grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and even great-great-grandmothers.
In contrast to sweet potato pie, which was typically the star of the dinner table on Sunday meals, during holidays, and on other special occasions, the pumpkin pie was a dessert that was rarely (if ever) served.
“I just think there’s a widespread affinity for sweet potatoes in the South,” says the author.
In general, I believe that sweet potatoes are popular in the southern United States.
In so many different elements of cooking, both savory and sweet,” Adams explained.

I’m aware that this is the case in other parts of the world.

It’s simply that I wasn’t brought up with it.

It’s ingrained in our DNA.

Observing her carefully as she boiled and peeled the potatoes, blended them until they were smooth and velvety, then placed them into pie crusts with the rest of the ingredients before baking them, I was fascinated.

The most crucial element of creating a sweet potato pie, she told me, was selecting the appropriate sweet potatoes.

To understand why the pie is so distinctively Southern, we must first consider the origins of the starchy root vegetable substrate on which it is built.

Researchers believe they originated in tropical South America and began migrating west to reach Europe and the southern region of what we now know as the United States in the early 16th century.

Due to the fact that they grow better in warmer temperatures, they have become increasingly popular in southern areas such as Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Miles is presently employed as the executive pastry chef at Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega, and Chez Fonfon in Birmingham, and she associates sweet potato pie with childhood memories of cooking with her mother and grandmother.

“It brings back memories of how she actually didn’t make her pie crust, she used to purchase it from the grocery store,” Miles recalled of her mother, who has now passed away.

“It simply brings her back to me, and I had a lot of thoughts about her throughout Thanksgiving, despite the fact that I didn’t bake a sweet potato pie.” Photograph by Elena Veselova/Shutterstock As a result of her pies appearing in the trunks and freezers of various relatives and friends throughout the year, my Big Ma’s pies were frequently found in the same places as Miles’ aunt’s pies.

The sweet potato pie would be on the table at any of my friends’ houses if you went to their house.
The only time my Big Ma would describe her baking method to me was when she didn’t have a pen or paper in her hand.
After listening to Adams explain her grandmother’s approach to cooking, I realized that this habit of doing everything from memory and sight seemed to be common, at least among Southern grandmothers.
Adams explained that her grandmother never followed a recipe when making her pie, instead tasting everything as it was being prepared until the flavors and textures were exactly what she desired.
It was not uncommon for mom to simply chuck a stick of butter in there.
‘Everything was extremely instinctive, and she’d simply start whisking it about with the whisk until she got it to the consistency, smoothness, and flavor she desired,’ says the author.
This collection of recipes is a large part of how we got through the difficult times and managed to survive.
They also represent some difficult times, but they are a means for us to navigate through those difficult times,” Adams added.

Kristen Adaway is a Thrillist staff writer that specializes in entertainment news. Follow her on Twitter at @kristenadaway.

Sweet potato pie – Wikipedia

Sweet potato pie

A slice of sweet potato pie
Type	Pie
Course	Dessert
Place of origin	United States
Region or state	Southern United States
Main ingredients	Pie shell,sweet potatoes,milk,sugar,eggs

Sweet potato pie (although commonly confused with sweet potato casserole, the two dishes are in fact distinct) is a classic dessert that originated in the Southern United States among the African American population and is now popular across the world. It is frequently offered during the holiday season in the United States, particularly at Thanksgiving and Christmas, in place of pumpkin pie, which is more customary in other parts of the country. A top crust is not used because it is baked in an open pie shell.

Other potential additives include vanilla and lemon extracts, among others.

History

Despite the fact that creamy vegetable pie recipes date back to Medieval Europe, sweet potato pie has been a staple in the southern United States since the early colonial days. The usage of sweet potatoes in Southern and African-American cuisine may be traced back to influences from West Africa. The sweet potato, which is indigenous to the Americas, was most likely utilized by African slaves as a substitute for the foods they were accustomed to eating in their country. Sweet potato pie is a variation on the traditional European pie recipe that uses sweet potatoes as the primary ingredient.

The sweet potato pie had been more generally classed as a dessert by the nineteenth century.

References

To my non-Hispanic white readers: Pumpkin pie is not a favorite of black people. A pumpkin pie and a sweet potato pie can seem surprisingly similar when placed side by side. In general, these two fall favorites attract to people from quite varied cultural backgrounds. The History Makers sent out an email today on the history of the sweet potato pie, which you can read here. If you know of someone who can offer a comparable background on the pumpkin pie, please do not bother sending me an email.

The holiday season has officially begun, with the traditional Thanksgiving supper to be served the following week.
A few of them even compete to see who can produce the best one.
Throughout Western Europe, the sweet potato received a rapturous response.
Cooks who were enslaved African Americans.
Sweet potatoes were traditionally consumed raw or roasted over an open fire by enslaved African Americans in the antebellum period.
Ingram (1942 – 2020), who was the first African American female judge in Georgia and the first African American female probate judge in the United States, they were prepared in the following manner: “We used to bake sweet potatoes.
you’d divide the ashes and throw the sweet potatoes in there, cover them, and let them to simmer for an hour or two.” Sue Strother Wilson (1934 – 2012), a quilter, recounted the same experience: “I prefer them raw or cooked, but growing up, we would wash them off and eat them raw.
Alternatively, she would bake them in the oven of the wood stove.” “A wonderful crop,” according to agricultural expert Walter A.
just like Carverdid.
it can be substituted for wheat flour.
In addition, preparation is straightforward.

A total of more than 100 sweet potato-based products were developed by Carver over the course of his life, including sugar (molasses), tapioca (rice), coffee (yeast), vinegar (vinegar), paints (dyes), medicine (rubber compound), and synthetic cotton (and silk) Sweet potatoes became a mainstay on many farms as a result of their nutritional value.

we used to have a large field of sweet potatoes.” My father, on the other hand, would plow the sweet potatoes once they had completely blossomed.
And we would continue to eat from that mound throughout the winter.” Nancy Bowlin, an educator and nurse, also recalled a childhood reminiscence: “My earliest childhood memory.
I planted was sweet potatoes,” I recall thinking.
Barbara Boyd, a television reporter who grew up in the Chicago area, described her family’s normal Sunday meal as follows: “Dinner.
someone would steal sweet potatoes from the Italian grocer, and we’d.
Sweet potatoes were provided by me.
had to come over to see what these strange things were all about.

My mother also had simple old-fashioned cornbread, and we traded meals from time to time across the fence,” says the author.

Congressman and Civil Rights pioneer John Lewis was asked about his favorite cuisine, and he said without hesitation, “my favorite food is sweet potato pie.” According to his sister-in-law, his mentor, the Reverend Dr.

Naomi King: I’m going to be honest with you, I don’t know what to say.

‘Martin, is there anything I can do to help you?’ I inquired.

Then he responded, “Making a sweet potato pie for me.” Check on the status of Corrie’s trip up here and whether you can whip up some sweet potato pie for me,’ says the narrator.

found out when she was going to be leaving, baked the sweet potato pie, placed it in a plastic container, and sent it to her location for her to deliver it to.

When I spoke with him, I asked him, ‘Did you get your pie?’ ‘Yeah, Nene,’ he responded.

‘It’s really fantastic, as always.’ And I answered, ‘Well, I’m pleased you’re happy, Martin.'” Producer of musical compositions When H.

Barnum recalled working with a musician whom he compensated with pies, he said, “When I decided that I was going to perform music.

I was going through Billboard magazine when I made the decision to phone three people.

and he responded with, ‘Well, why should I assist you?’ Because I’m interested in learning something, and you’re the greatest at what you do.’ I explained.

‘I don’t have any money,’ I explain.

‘Can you tell me what you want?’ I inquired.

‘Yeah,’ I responded.

As well, I learnt how to.

Orlando Bagwell, a documentary director, stated his Thanksgiving feast as follows: “Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, greens, string beans, sauerkraut, pies.

Batts(1947 – 2020), a former federal district court judge, shared some of her favorite recipes: “My mother would occasionally make sweet potato pudding.sweet potato pie, which she learned to make because my father loved sweet potato pies.

she also made fruitcakes.” They were probably good, but.

“The sweet potato pies.

During a holiday custom in his community in Longview, Texas, Charles R.

during the Christmas holiday is the day before.,” Jordan said.

they would cut the sweet potato pie, and they’d have one that they would cut on Christmas Eve.

and you could go around the entire neighborhood.

What you remember most about the place is that it was a loving and sharing environment; more than the meal, you remember the fact that you could go next door and acquire a slice of potato pie on Christmas Eve.” Turnbull, who founded and directed the Boys Choir of Harlem from 1944 to 2007, remembers his grandmother as “a fantastic chef.

And when grandmother brought it out of the oven, I begged for a slice of it.
‘However, my mother never allows it to cool,’ I explained (laughter).
Then she’d put them in a big pan and she’d slice a half of pound of butter and sugar and she’d rotate, and she put it in the oven and cook it for about an hour and it was like candied.
My mothermade great sweet potato pies and so every time I make them, I think of home.” But many a cook have taken their secret ingredients with them to their graves.

Battsfurther commented on her favorite dish: “A couple of Thanksgivings ago… My mom had said that she wasn’t going to make them anymore and I said, ‘We can’t let this happen… You have to tell us…show us how to make it.’ And we said that for years and years and years and she’d do the same old thing… ‘Well you take a bit of this and a dash of that…’ And I’m saying, ‘Are you talking about your pinch or my pinch… Could you just actually give me like universally known measurements?’ And, of course, she couldn’t do that.

So we decided that she was going to help us and… watch us and tell us what to do… it wasn’t working.

I’m getting nervous.” Lawyer and political officialTerri A.

And I hope that it doesn’t die in my generation.

The Honorable Edith Ingram (The HistoryMakers A2006.007), interviewed by Evelyn Pounds, January 25, 2006, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Serena Strother Wilson (The HistoryMakers A2005.066), interviewed by Regennia Williams, March 16, 2005, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Walter A.

Session 1, tape 5, story 6, Walter A.

The Honorable Bobbie Steele (The HistoryMakers A2002.109), interviewed by Larry Crowe, July 1, 2002, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Ovie Carter (The HistoryMakers A2010.035), interviewed by Larry Crowe, May 26, 2010, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Nancy Bowlin (The HistoryMakers A2007.144), interviewed by Larry Crowe, April 17, 2007, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Barbara Boyd (The HistoryMakers A2000.006), interviewed by Julieanna L.

Session 1, tape 2, story 1, Barbara Boyd remembers family outings to Chicago.

Session 1, tape 2, story 1, Camay Calloway Murphy recalls the sights, sounds, and smells growing up in New York, New York, pt.

Alexander Jefferson (The HistoryMakers A2007.192), interviewed by Denise Gines, June 29, 2007, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

The Honorable John Lewis (The HistoryMakers A2001.039), interviewed by Julieanna L.

Session 1, tape 1, story 2, John Lewis’s favorites.

Session 1, tape 4, story 7, Naomi King recalls Reverend Dr.

Barnum (The HistoryMakers A2008.110), interviewed by Larry Crowe, September 16, 2008, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Orlando Bagwell (The HistoryMakers A2007.339), interviewed by Adrienne Jones, December 17, 2007, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

The Honorable Deborah A.

Session 1, tape 2, story 3, The Honorable Deborah Batts describes her mother’s cooking, pt.

Julia Reed Hare (The HistoryMakers A2004.040), interviewed by Loretta Henry, April 5, 2004, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

She describes the sights, sounds, and smells that surrounded her.

Jordan (The HistoryMakers A2004.167) on September 20, 2004, which is available in the HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Jordan tells the story of his childhood holidays and celebrations in Longview, Texas, on session 1, tape 1, story number 8.

Turnbull (The HistoryMakers A2005.175), and preserved in The HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

Turnbull tells his father’s family history, which he learned from his father.

In Session 1, tape 1, narrative 7, Mary “Betty” Brown relates the sights, sounds, and scents of her early upbringing in the United Kingdom.

Carrie Camillo Tankard discusses the sights, sounds, and scents of her upbringing in Session 1, Tape 2, Story 3, of the third tape.

Batts (The HistoryMakers A2007.239), conducted by Adrienne Jones for the HistoryMakers Digital Archive.

The Right Honorable In an interview with Denise Gines conducted on May 5, 2017 at the The HistoryMakers A2017.096, Terri A.

Sewell (The HistoryMakers A2017.096) is featured in the The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. The Honorable Terri A. Sewell describes the sights and sounds of her childhood in the first session of tape number one, story number twelve.