In the United States, “pie” means dessert.
This is not true elsewhere in the world, where “pies” have a variety of connotations and can be savory as well as sweet.
Where Americans think of classic apple pies, coconut cream and other versions of desserts, many cultures use the word pie – or variations like pasties, a popular British version of a pie – to look more like an empanada.
Think of a pie not as a round, sliced dessert, but as a sealed, hand-held crust filled with everything from sweet pie to meats, potatoes, and other savory dishes. It’s an on-the-go food that can be pretty much anything you want it to be.
It’s versatile – and it seems like something that makes sense on a fast food menu. So far, however, American chains have not embraced this idea, at least on their American menus.
This may change, however, as McDonald’s (MCD) – Get McDonald’s Corporation report introduced a new savory pie, but not on its American menu.
McDonald’s made hand pies a thing
McDonald’s created its classic apple pie, served hot, in 1968. It was a new take on an American classic that was added to its menu at a time when new menu additions were very important.
“The recipe for McDonald’s apple pie came from a Knoxville, Tennessee franchisee named Litton Cochran, who opened the first McDonald’s in that town in 1960,” Eater.com reported.
“Apple pie was the first dessert added to McDonald’s menu in 1968, the same year the fast food company introduced the Big Mac. The original recipe and turnover-style pie was fried until they are crisp with a light golden color and served hot in a folded cardboard box.”
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McDonald’s stopped frying its pies in 1992, replacing them with a baked version. It was considered a healthier choice, but it was an unpopular move when it happened.
“The crispy outer crust and the warm sweet filling inside is a heavenly marriage. The pies were truly apple turnovers in the shape of a golden flaky rectangle,” pie blogger Everything Pies wrote of the fried pies.
Over the years, McDonald’s has put a lot of toppings beyond apples into its pies.
In fact, he’s created more than 40 variations of the pie, with fillings like strawberry, pineapple, and pumpkin. Outside the US, popular flavors include taro (China), sweet corn (Thailand) and berries and gooseberry (UK), Eater reported.
Now, however, the chain has taken the pie to an entirely new place – but you’ll have to travel to Japan to try it.
McDonald’s adds savory pie
McDonald’s often uses its global footprint to test new ideas that eventually make it to American shores. In this case, the company has added Bacon Potato Pie to its menu in Japan for a limited time.
“Bacon Potato Pie is basically one of Mickey D’s signature pies, brimming with savory fare like chewy potatoes, succulent bacon, and onions, all folded into a creamy milk filling. ” Foodbeast reported.
And while savory pies may not be an American idea, it’s easy to see how this concept could be brought to the United States, perhaps with a new name.
Imagine the convenience of a Big Mac “pie” or Bacon Cheeseburger variant marketed to people on the go or those eating in their car.
These are very American concepts that might help expand the idea of what exactly a “pie” is.