Pies Around the World by Zareen Levien

Meat Pies in Egypt

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Some of the earliest pie-like foods were made in ancient Egypt, where dough was used to hold fillings such as meat. These early pies show how people used grain-based crusts as practical containers before modern baking styles developed.

Greek Pastry Pies

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Ancient Greeks made pastries filled with meat and seafood, wrapped in flour-and-water dough. Their cooking traditions helped spread the idea of filled crust dishes around the Mediterranean.

English Pies and Coffyn Crusts

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

In medieval England, sturdy pie crusts called coffyns were used to hold meat fillings during baking. These pies were important because they preserved food and later influenced both savory and sweet pie traditions.

Apple Pie in the Netherlands

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Dutch bakers became known for fruit pies with lattice tops and spiced fillings. Their baking traditions helped shape later apple pie recipes that spread to other parts of Europe and North America.

Tourtière in Quebec

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Tourtière is a savory meat pie associated with French Canadian cooking in Quebec. It reflects how French pie traditions adapted to local ingredients and became part of holiday meals in Canada.

Cornish Pasty in Cornwall

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

The Cornish pasty became famous as a portable pie for miners in southwest England. Its folded shape made it easy to carry, showing how pies could serve practical everyday needs as well as cultural identity.

Australian Meat Pie Tradition

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Meat pies became a popular everyday food in Australia during the 1800s. Over time, they grew into a national favorite sold at bakeries, sporting events, and cafes across the country.

Shepherd’s Pie in Ireland

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Shepherd’s pie developed as a hearty dish made with meat and a potato topping rather than a pastry crust.

Pumpkin Pie in the United States

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Pumpkin pie became strongly linked with harvest celebrations and Thanksgiving in the United States. It shows how pie traditions can connect food, farming, and national customs.

Steak and Kidney Pie in New Zealand

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

British settlers brought pie-making traditions to New Zealand, where savory pies remained a popular comfort food.

Empanadas in Argentina

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Empanadas are folded pastries filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables, and they have deep roots in Spanish and local food traditions in Argentina.

Tarta de Santiago in Spain

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Tarta de Santiago is an almond cake-pie associated with Galicia in northwestern Spain. Its long history connects it to pilgrimage routes and shows how sweet pies and tart-like desserts became part of regional identity.

Burek in Bosnia and Herzegovina

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Burek is a flaky filled pastry made with thin layers of dough, often filled with meat or cheese. It reflects Ottoman culinary influence.

Sfiha in Lebanon

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Sfiha is a small open-faced meat pie from the Levant, especially associated with Lebanon. It helps show how pie traditions in Asia include both enclosed and open baked dishes with seasoned fillings.

Curry Puff in Malaysia

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Curry puffs are pastry snacks filled with curried potatoes, meat, or eggs, popular in Malaysia and across Southeast Asia. They are pie-like foods that combine local spices with pastry techniques.

Bisteeya in Morocco

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Bisteeya, also called pastilla, is a layered savory pie from Morocco traditionally filled with spiced meat and sometimes almonds. It blends sweet and savory flavors.

Meat Pie in Nigeria

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Nigerian meat pie is a popular baked snack with a pastry shell and a savory filling of meat and vegetables. It became part of everyday street food and bakery culture in West Africa.

Bobotie Pie in South Africa

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Bobotie is traditionally baked as a minced meat dish with an egg topping, but pie-style versions wrap those flavors in pastry in South Africa. It reflects Cape Malay and Dutch culinary influences.

Bánh Pátê Sô in Vietnam

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Bánh pátê sô is a Vietnamese savory pastry influenced by French baking traditions, usually filled with seasoned meat.

Pecan Pie in the United States

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Pecan pie is strongly associated with the American South, especially states where pecans grow abundantly. Its rich filling of pecans, sugar, and syrup made it a well-known dessert in United States pie traditions.

Key Lime Pie in the United States

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Key lime pie developed in Florida and became famous for its tart citrus filling and crumb crust. It represents how regional ingredients helped create distinct pie traditions in the United States.

Shoofly Pie in the United States

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Shoofly pie comes from Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and is known for its molasses filling and crumb topping.

Chess Pie in the United States

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Chess pie is a classic Southern dessert with a simple filling made from sugar, butter, and eggs. It became popular as a practical pie that could be made from basic ingredients found in many home kitchens.

Sweet Potato Pie in the United States

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Sweet potato pie is an important dessert in Southern and African American food traditions in the United States. It highlights how regional crops and family recipes shaped pie culture across the country.

Gujiya or Ghughra in India

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Gujiya, also called ghughra in some regions, is a sweet crescent-shaped pastry filled with ingredients such as khoya, coconut, nuts, or dried fruit. It is especially associated with festive celebrations in India.

Dilkhush or Dilpasand in India

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Dilkhush, also called Dilpasand, is a sweet bakery pastry popular in parts of India. It is filled with ingredients such as coconut, tutti frutti, and sweetened mixtures inside a baked crust.

Siew Pau in Malaysia

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Siew pau is a baked bun-like pastry associated especially with Seremban in Malaysia, often filled with barbecue pork or other savory ingredients. It reflects the blending of Chinese and Malaysian food traditions.

Genji Pie in Japan

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Genji Pie is a heart-shaped puff pastry snack from Japan made with layered dough and sugar.

Unagi Pie in Japan

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Unagi Pie is a sweet flaky pastry from Japan associated with Hamamatsu, a city known for eel. Despite its name, it is more of a pie-style snack pastry than a savory eel pie.

Wife Cake in China

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Wife cake is a flaky pastry associated with southern China, especially Guangdong and Hong Kong food traditions, with a sweet filling often made from winter melon.

Sun Cake in Taiwan

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Sun cake is a famous Taiwanese pastry from Taichung with a flaky crust and a sweet malt filling. It features a layered baked shell surrounding a sweet center and reflects Taiwan’s regional bakery traditions.

Pavlova in New Zealand

zap9 — 2026-03-10 20:10:47 UTC

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert strongly associated with New Zealand and also claimed by Australia. It is a baked round sweet dish often topped with fruit and served in slices.