Hurrah! For the Pumpkin Pie
What
thanksgiving dinner would be complete without a delicious,
generous serving of rich pumpkin pie? Most Americans would be
quick to agree that the celebration would be lacking without
it. Yet, how many of them really understand their sentiment
for this orange-colored puree in a simple flour and water
crust. We have to look back to find the reasoning behind our
"pumpkin love," for it is as old as the New World.
The
Indians of North America had long used pumpkins and other
types of squash. The sturdy shells made good containers.
Dried gourds served as ceremonial rattles. Squash and pumpkin
seeds were edible and could be pressed to extract their
exotic oils. Pumpkin meat could be boiled for soup or dried
and ground into meal for use in breads and puddings. The
settlers of New England adopted the Indians' bright orange
vegetable, and it quickly became an indispensable part of
their diet.
Highly
nutritious and capable of being stored throughout the winter,
the pumpkin provided hearty eating for a hard-working and
hungry setllement. New World housewives would dice ripe
pumpkins and stew them over a low fire; butter, vinegar, and
ginger often were added to enhance the pumpkin's sweet
flavor. The stewed pumpkin was then used in a number of ways,
as this old colonial verse humorously documents;
For pottage and puddings, and custards, and
pies,
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies.
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon;
If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon.
Pumpkin
pie in early New England was quite different from our modern
version. It was made by slicing off the top of the pumpkin,
removing the seeds, and filling the cavity with milk, spices,
and a natural sweetener, such as maple syrup. Then, the whole
thing was baked!
As
Thanksgiving became a yearly event, pumpkin pie grew in
popularity. It became so important, in fact, that in 1705,
Colchester, Connecticut actually postponed Thanksgiving until
their supply of molasses arrived. The pumpkin pies could not
be made without it!
Pumpkin
pie has remained signigicant to this day. The poet Whittier
encapsulated "pumpkin love" so eloquently when he
asked:
What moistens the lip and what brightens the
eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin Pie?
Today
we can't imagine Thanksgiving without it. For, indeed, a
dinner is just a dinner until you've added the pumpkin pie,
the tradition, the real flavor of Thanksgiving.
written by Cornell M. Brellenthin
Comments? Send e-mail to shihtzumom@snip.net
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