As 'Murican as Apple Pie

Published: July 27, 2021, 8 a.m.

It\u2019s our Season Finale, so we\u2019re slicing into the most iconic American food - Apple Pie! In the Deep Dish, Anna Van Valin gets to the core of how Apple Pie became a symbol of the US of A and what it means to be \u201cas American as Apple pie.\u201d She shares the history behind pie\u2019s rise in popularity in America, including the spread of apples across the colonies thanks to Johnny Appleseed (a real person!), the shift from savory to sweet pies in the 1800s, and how Apple Pies became a comfort food for the pioneers moving West. Anna also gives us surprising examples of how this symbol of American identity has been used for commentary in popular culture, like in Don McLean\u2019s epic ballad \u201cAmerican Pie\u201d and in the raunchy 1999 teenage comedy with the same name. But first,\xa0 Lia Ballentine talks to us about Apple Pie\u2019s two national holidays and a festival in Liberty, Kentucky where you can find (and eat) the world\u2019s largest Apple Pie. We have the recipe, so you can make your own 3,000-pound Apple Pie! Lia also tells us about the actual Granny Smith, who cultivated one of the most popular cooking apples in history, and gives us insight into a new breed of apple called the Cosmic Crisp that\u2019s been in development for over 20 years in the state of Washington. So hop in our Chevy and let\u2019s drive it to the levee and learn all about Apple Pie!

Explore from the show:

Send us your questions!! We'll be doing a mailbag episode in the fall and want to answer your questions about us, the show, or how we come up with our incredible puns. Email us at podcasts@vanvalin.llc, DM us on Instagram, Twitter or through the contact form on our website.\xa0

Cook this podcast! We've partnered with the Manna cooking app to create delicious, episode-inspired recipes you can cook while you listen. Download the app, follow "Every Day is a Food Day," and get cooking our recipe for this episode "In Pie We Crust."

Connect with us:


(c) Van Valin LLC, Yumday Co