October 23 is National Boston Cream Pie Day. However, a Boston cream pie is a cake. So, why do people call the Dessert a pie? The explanation is quite simple. At the time it was invented, the oven and pans were used for both cakes and pies. When it was baked and taken out of the oven, it was called a pie, and no one dared to change the name to Boston cream cake. From then until this day, that is what it is called and what people know it to be. Because it tastes so good, no one is complaining about its name.
The truth about the dessert
What is true about the Boston cream pie is that it was first created in Boston, Massachusetts in 1856 by a French chef named Sanzian who worked at the Parker House Hotel.
Today, the pie is the dessert of Massachusetts. It was declared to be the official dessert on December 12, 1996.
Restaurant owners are happy to tell tourists about the official dessert when they are dining in Boston. More than likely, restaurants get to sell a lot of slices of the pie to their customers because of that bit of information. However, you don't have to be in Boston to enjoy the delicious dessert. Besides, the taste is not limited to just the pie because it is also a popular flavor for doughnuts, coffee, and ice cream.
The recipe
The pie is actually quick and easy to make. It consists of two round layers of sponge cake with a thick vanilla custard or cream filling. It is frosted with a chocolate glaze.
Even though it has the ingredients of a cake and looks like a cake, it is served in wedges or slices like a pie. If you prefer not making the pie for your family, you can pick up one from the grocery store or from your local bakery that is sure to have plenty on hand for National Boston Cream Pie Day.
While you are enjoying your dessert with your family, make sure you share the reason the cake is called a pie.
Your family members might find the reason to be a very interesting one just as most people do.
Other food tidbits
Like the name of the pie that is really a cake, there are some other very interesting tidbits about foods and their names. Did you know that Graham crackers aren't crackers but cookies? Did you know that the peanut isn't really a nut despite its name?
It doesn't grow on a tree like the other nuts. Instead, the peanut is a legume because it grows on a vine like beans. When you think about it, there are some really good tidbits about the foods we eat. Another good example is that there is no harm in hamburgers.
