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Edible
Pie: A Global History
Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Shepherd’s pie. Chicken potpie. Sweet or savory, pies are beloved; everyone has a favorite. Yet despite its widespread appeal there has never been a book devoted to this humble dish—until now.
Janet Clarkson in Pie illustrates how what was once a purely pragmatic dish of thick layers of dough has grown into an esteemed creation of culinary art. There is as much debate about how to perfect the ideal, flaky pastry crust as there is about the very definition of a pie: Must it have a top and bottom crust? Is a pasty a pie? In flavorful detail, Clarkson celebrates the pie in all its variations. She touches pon the pie’s commercial applications, nutritional value, and cultural significance; and she examines its international variations, from Britain’s pork pie and Australia and New Zealand’s endless varieties of meat pie to the Russian kurnik and good old-fashioned American apple pie.
This delectable salute to the many pies enjoyed the world over will satisfy the appetites of all readers hungry for culinary history and curious about the many varieties of this delightful food, and it just might inspire them to don aprons and head for the stove.
Janet Clarkson in Pie illustrates how what was once a purely pragmatic dish of thick layers of dough has grown into an esteemed creation of culinary art. There is as much debate about how to perfect the ideal, flaky pastry crust as there is about the very definition of a pie: Must it have a top and bottom crust? Is a pasty a pie? In flavorful detail, Clarkson celebrates the pie in all its variations. She touches pon the pie’s commercial applications, nutritional value, and cultural significance; and she examines its international variations, from Britain’s pork pie and Australia and New Zealand’s endless varieties of meat pie to the Russian kurnik and good old-fashioned American apple pie.
This delectable salute to the many pies enjoyed the world over will satisfy the appetites of all readers hungry for culinary history and curious about the many varieties of this delightful food, and it just might inspire them to don aprons and head for the stove.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published April 15, 2009
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503 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 1, 2013
Damn Fine Pie
I know author Janet Clarkson,
She sure does make a damn fine pie,
As well as any other food
She turns her hand (and mitten) to.
The Life of Pie
I'll try pies from all round
Until my health forbids.
Varieties abound,
But if they're well prepared,
I like both ones with lids
And with their contents bared.
While my verdict's open,
If they could be compared
And you must know my ken
About which better fared,
Then I prefer it when
The types of pie are squared.
I know author Janet Clarkson,
She sure does make a damn fine pie,
As well as any other food
She turns her hand (and mitten) to.
The Life of Pie
I'll try pies from all round
Until my health forbids.
Varieties abound,
But if they're well prepared,
I like both ones with lids
And with their contents bared.
While my verdict's open,
If they could be compared
And you must know my ken
About which better fared,
Then I prefer it when
The types of pie are squared.
September 1, 2016
Regardless of one’s affinity towards sweets (or lack thereof); the phrase, “As American as apple pie” is a common one. A warm, crusty, slice of pie is as much an ornamental figure of culture as it is actually in bellies. Janet Clarkson shares a cultural and social history exploration of pie in Reaktion Books’ “The Edible Series” with “Pie: A Global History”.
“Pie” is a small, glossy book filled with full-color photos and illustrations breaking the history of pie into a rational chronology. Beginning with a brief history lesson of the linguistic and elemental structures of pie (crust dough types, fillings, etc); Clarkson attempts to generalize the advent of pie before moving onward towards types of pies, cultural feelings towards pies, and other topics. The flow of “Pie” makes sense and has a steady pace maintaining reader attention.
One should be forewarned that the focus of “Pie” is a social history and the book is quite brief (it can be read in one sitting). Therefore, it is not highly academic or scholarly and lacks details and advanced historical merit. In fact, some of the information could be deemed speculative and based on assumption, rather than noted research. Regardless, “Pie” still reveals insightful information and some interesting facts even if not as deep as one would hope.
Being that Clark’s professional background is in the medical fields versus food or cookery; there is a somewhat clinical and almost ‘school report’ feel to “Pie” versus a passionate yearning to search high-and-low for the complete history of pie. Readers hoping for an all-inclusive and thorough look at pies will be disappointed as “Pie” is more of a quick and “cute” introduction and overview. This makes “Pie” suitable for the average reader with accessible text which is decently written and easy-to-understand in tone.
“Pie” features a strong focus on medieval cuisine which brings surprising revelations such as the adamant use of the now-expensive and harder to come by spice, saffron.
The conclusion of “Pie” which explores some examples of pie in pop culture or media, feels rushed and abrupt, ending the book somewhat dejectedly. However, the appendix offering some pie recipes brings flair to the after word.
“Pie” (at least the edition I read) lacks a proper editor as there are some proofing errors such as repeated words i.e. “There is something called called…” [pg 71].
Even though “Pie” is not a detailed look into the world of these beloved pastries, it is a ‘fun’ foray with interesting factoids (who knew there was an American Pie Council?!) which also raise questions regarding the definition of pie, its importance in society and its future. “Pie” is a sweet read for a quick (non-heavy) taste of pie (pun intended). Just be careful if reading while on a diet: you WILL crave pie!
“Pie” is a small, glossy book filled with full-color photos and illustrations breaking the history of pie into a rational chronology. Beginning with a brief history lesson of the linguistic and elemental structures of pie (crust dough types, fillings, etc); Clarkson attempts to generalize the advent of pie before moving onward towards types of pies, cultural feelings towards pies, and other topics. The flow of “Pie” makes sense and has a steady pace maintaining reader attention.
One should be forewarned that the focus of “Pie” is a social history and the book is quite brief (it can be read in one sitting). Therefore, it is not highly academic or scholarly and lacks details and advanced historical merit. In fact, some of the information could be deemed speculative and based on assumption, rather than noted research. Regardless, “Pie” still reveals insightful information and some interesting facts even if not as deep as one would hope.
Being that Clark’s professional background is in the medical fields versus food or cookery; there is a somewhat clinical and almost ‘school report’ feel to “Pie” versus a passionate yearning to search high-and-low for the complete history of pie. Readers hoping for an all-inclusive and thorough look at pies will be disappointed as “Pie” is more of a quick and “cute” introduction and overview. This makes “Pie” suitable for the average reader with accessible text which is decently written and easy-to-understand in tone.
“Pie” features a strong focus on medieval cuisine which brings surprising revelations such as the adamant use of the now-expensive and harder to come by spice, saffron.
The conclusion of “Pie” which explores some examples of pie in pop culture or media, feels rushed and abrupt, ending the book somewhat dejectedly. However, the appendix offering some pie recipes brings flair to the after word.
“Pie” (at least the edition I read) lacks a proper editor as there are some proofing errors such as repeated words i.e. “There is something called called…” [pg 71].
Even though “Pie” is not a detailed look into the world of these beloved pastries, it is a ‘fun’ foray with interesting factoids (who knew there was an American Pie Council?!) which also raise questions regarding the definition of pie, its importance in society and its future. “Pie” is a sweet read for a quick (non-heavy) taste of pie (pun intended). Just be careful if reading while on a diet: you WILL crave pie!
August 19, 2025
At the start of her book, Janet Clarkson defines pie as something at least partially encased in pastry, and baked, not fried. This means of course that she restricts pie mostly to Europe and to countries that saw immigration from Europe (USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, primarily). Much of Asia (barring the Middle East and its love for filo) and Africa naturally doesn’t get a piece of the pie, but I was surprised to see no mention of South America’s pies—a number of which, such as empanadas Tucumanas, empanadas Chilenas, Bolivian salteñas and Colombian pastel de glorias—consist of baked pastry encasing various sweet or savoury fillings.
Pie: A Global History is a fascinating insight into pies; how they might have first originated, how they took the shape(s) they did, how they evolved. How pies have reflected various aspects of society, from being symbols (Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie, for instance) to being reminders of childhood. How pies have appeared in literature, in song, in cinema (the 1927 Oliver Hardy-Stan Laurel silent film, The Battle of the Century , is cited as being the film containing the longest pie-in-the-face fight ever). Pies in art, pies in poetry, pie advertisements, and more. All of it supported with reproductions of paintings, illustrations, ads, movie stills, and more.
The recipes at the end are good (though why does the recipe for Cornish pasties not list any seasoning, herbs or spices at all?), and I couldn’t help but marvel at the fillings of some of the older pies described. Or, even, the dazzlingly colourful ‘paint’ that was used to decorate medieval European pies:
“The Widowes Treasure (1586) gives a recipe for An Emeraulde Greene containing verdegres (copper acetate), litarge (lead oxide) and quicksilver (metallic mercury) mixed with ‘the pisse of a young childe’, and another for a gold colour containing saffron, orpiment (arsenic trisulphide) and the gall (bile) of a hare or a pike pounded together, placed in a vial, and buried in a dunghill for five days.”
As Clarkson says (and I agree wholeheartedly): “It is perhaps better after all that some techniques have died out.”
An enjoyable book, informative and very readable.
Pie: A Global History is a fascinating insight into pies; how they might have first originated, how they took the shape(s) they did, how they evolved. How pies have reflected various aspects of society, from being symbols (Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie, for instance) to being reminders of childhood. How pies have appeared in literature, in song, in cinema (the 1927 Oliver Hardy-Stan Laurel silent film, The Battle of the Century , is cited as being the film containing the longest pie-in-the-face fight ever). Pies in art, pies in poetry, pie advertisements, and more. All of it supported with reproductions of paintings, illustrations, ads, movie stills, and more.
The recipes at the end are good (though why does the recipe for Cornish pasties not list any seasoning, herbs or spices at all?), and I couldn’t help but marvel at the fillings of some of the older pies described. Or, even, the dazzlingly colourful ‘paint’ that was used to decorate medieval European pies:
“The Widowes Treasure (1586) gives a recipe for An Emeraulde Greene containing verdegres (copper acetate), litarge (lead oxide) and quicksilver (metallic mercury) mixed with ‘the pisse of a young childe’, and another for a gold colour containing saffron, orpiment (arsenic trisulphide) and the gall (bile) of a hare or a pike pounded together, placed in a vial, and buried in a dunghill for five days.”
As Clarkson says (and I agree wholeheartedly): “It is perhaps better after all that some techniques have died out.”
An enjoyable book, informative and very readable.
December 26, 2023
I found this a delightful history of pies from all over the world. It makes me appreciate my homemade pies even more!
November 7, 2010
Anyone who will asks rhetorical questions about the philosophy of pie is on the right track. Pie is simple goodness, but it is also complex ecstasy. So much more than filling plus crust, and just as the equation of Pi is a never-ending search for answers, the enjoyment of pie is an ongoing adventure of over-the-top elation and sadly, something that I can only enjoy, and not create. But, as long as there are enough creators of pie, I will gladly savor their products, and not even rest on the Sabbath.
Dr. Janet Clarkson, the author of this book, is a medicine professor and a professional doctor. Why the hell is she qualified to write about pie? Because that innocent is dissected beyond just regular demolition with a fork. Dr. Clarkson takes the crust off, flake by flake, then delves into the deepest, darkest and sweetest secrets of pie, beyond the unwavering heft of its filling to deduce what it is all about. From the nutrient density (smell, taste, mouth feel) that makes us love pie to its emotional core - she's sieved through the crumbs for us, so we can focus on chomping.
So the series of rhetorical questions Dr. Clarkson that you may never ask of pie instigates us to think beyond child-like glee. Deconstructing pie may be your best compliment to Its Roundness, whether physically, emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually. She presents some amazing information about the medieval provenance of pie, how metals and acids were once used in its fillings! And the mind-blowing architecture of what used to grace noble tables is just phenomenal. Beautifully constructed lines such as "If you are one of those sweet-toothed souls to whom 'pie' means a dessert, you have probably been frustrated up to now as meat pies have dominated our story. Your time is now come" brought a huge grin to my face, as pie does - when words on an inedible piece of paper elicit that similar effect on you, it is undeniably pure pleasure.
Like any good historian, Dr. Clarkson warns us to learn from the tragic trappings of times afore - "Pies such as these - repositories of a week's leftovers - were once so commonplace as to earn their own names. I advise you to have no illusions as to the content of Scrap pies, Saturday pies or Old Maid pies." She even elevates pie to literary heights - did pie attain the status of a Pandora's box in the Middle Ages when you could not be sure of what might greet you when you slit one open?
Oh, look - I have begun to ask rhetorical questions of pie myself! I have been inspired. And so will you be, when you read "Pie".
Dr. Janet Clarkson, the author of this book, is a medicine professor and a professional doctor. Why the hell is she qualified to write about pie? Because that innocent is dissected beyond just regular demolition with a fork. Dr. Clarkson takes the crust off, flake by flake, then delves into the deepest, darkest and sweetest secrets of pie, beyond the unwavering heft of its filling to deduce what it is all about. From the nutrient density (smell, taste, mouth feel) that makes us love pie to its emotional core - she's sieved through the crumbs for us, so we can focus on chomping.
So the series of rhetorical questions Dr. Clarkson that you may never ask of pie instigates us to think beyond child-like glee. Deconstructing pie may be your best compliment to Its Roundness, whether physically, emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually. She presents some amazing information about the medieval provenance of pie, how metals and acids were once used in its fillings! And the mind-blowing architecture of what used to grace noble tables is just phenomenal. Beautifully constructed lines such as "If you are one of those sweet-toothed souls to whom 'pie' means a dessert, you have probably been frustrated up to now as meat pies have dominated our story. Your time is now come" brought a huge grin to my face, as pie does - when words on an inedible piece of paper elicit that similar effect on you, it is undeniably pure pleasure.
Like any good historian, Dr. Clarkson warns us to learn from the tragic trappings of times afore - "Pies such as these - repositories of a week's leftovers - were once so commonplace as to earn their own names. I advise you to have no illusions as to the content of Scrap pies, Saturday pies or Old Maid pies." She even elevates pie to literary heights - did pie attain the status of a Pandora's box in the Middle Ages when you could not be sure of what might greet you when you slit one open?
Oh, look - I have begun to ask rhetorical questions of pie myself! I have been inspired. And so will you be, when you read "Pie".
November 24, 2020
This was very enjoyable and quite informative about the history and creation of pie. I can’t wait to read more in the series.
April 8, 2011
‘There is a mystery inherent in a pie by virtue of the contents being hidden beneath its crust.’
The pie, to quote one Victorian writer, ‘is a great human discovery which has universal estimation among all civilized eaters’. Of course, there are a number of different views about how to define a pie and Ms Clarkson resorted to the following quote by Raymond A. Sokolov: ‘I may not be able to define a pie, but I know one when I see it.’
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the pie, or about the number of different varieties of pies available? If you like eating pies, do you enjoy making them? Is your favourite pie sweet, or savoury?
Janet Clarkson, who writes regularly on culinary history, has written this delightful book all about pies. Ms Clarkson begins by looking at the history of the pie and of pastry-making, and then discussing different pie designs and fillings.
‘A pie is invariably acclaimed as a treat and a sign of a caring cook.’
Did you know, for example, that pies were sometimes called coffins? Or that early pies often had a crust several inches thick, and that this crust was not intended to be eaten, but to preserve the contents for up to a year? The pie was once a very pragmatic dish with a very long shelf-life. These days, pies are often an expression of creative culinary art.
Pies are adaptable and portable, and they can be nutritious and tasty. It all depends on the cook and the contents. The contents? A pie can be ‘an economical investment for all miscellaneous savings’ as Charles Dickens wrote in ‘Our Mutual Friend’, it can even contain blackbirds or dancing girls. Personally, I’d prefer chicken or fruit.
I enjoyed reading this book on a cold autumn afternoon. In addition to all of the wonderfully informative facts, and even a selection of historical recipes, there are some delightful illustrations. It’s interesting, too, to consider the various international variations: Britain’s pork pie; America’s apple pie and Australia’s meat pie. And let’s not forget the role of pies in modern culture: from Sweeney Todd to Laurel and Hardy, the pies have it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The pie, to quote one Victorian writer, ‘is a great human discovery which has universal estimation among all civilized eaters’. Of course, there are a number of different views about how to define a pie and Ms Clarkson resorted to the following quote by Raymond A. Sokolov: ‘I may not be able to define a pie, but I know one when I see it.’
Have you ever wondered about the origins of the pie, or about the number of different varieties of pies available? If you like eating pies, do you enjoy making them? Is your favourite pie sweet, or savoury?
Janet Clarkson, who writes regularly on culinary history, has written this delightful book all about pies. Ms Clarkson begins by looking at the history of the pie and of pastry-making, and then discussing different pie designs and fillings.
‘A pie is invariably acclaimed as a treat and a sign of a caring cook.’
Did you know, for example, that pies were sometimes called coffins? Or that early pies often had a crust several inches thick, and that this crust was not intended to be eaten, but to preserve the contents for up to a year? The pie was once a very pragmatic dish with a very long shelf-life. These days, pies are often an expression of creative culinary art.
Pies are adaptable and portable, and they can be nutritious and tasty. It all depends on the cook and the contents. The contents? A pie can be ‘an economical investment for all miscellaneous savings’ as Charles Dickens wrote in ‘Our Mutual Friend’, it can even contain blackbirds or dancing girls. Personally, I’d prefer chicken or fruit.
I enjoyed reading this book on a cold autumn afternoon. In addition to all of the wonderfully informative facts, and even a selection of historical recipes, there are some delightful illustrations. It’s interesting, too, to consider the various international variations: Britain’s pork pie; America’s apple pie and Australia’s meat pie. And let’s not forget the role of pies in modern culture: from Sweeney Todd to Laurel and Hardy, the pies have it.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 9, 2017
its history is quite meaty.
August 18, 2021
This was mostly about the history of English meat pies, which are not of interest to me.
February 4, 2018
Pie can hardly be called a "global history" in good conscience. Heavily focused on the English pie and some French influences, Pie covers the various aspects that are involved in pie's role in societies, mainly from the middle ages onward.
Although such a small book can hardly contain all variations of pie, I don't think Ms Clarkson was right in dismissing the rest of the world. The countries she discusses are mainly the UK, France, the United States, Canada, and Australia. This inexplicable emphasis on English-speaking countries, I think, might simply be the result of Ms Clarkson's source material, which according the the bibliography in the back, was exclusively English as well. Although she provides a recipe for apple strudel in the back, arguing that strudel is a pie as well, she does not mention the significance of strudel in Austrian culture; nor is any mention spared for possible East-European, Asian, African, or South-American pies.
Pie can only be considered a global history if one's world is comprised by the West. As far as Western culinary history goes, it is a nice readable little booklet with plenty of pictures and old-English recipes.
Although such a small book can hardly contain all variations of pie, I don't think Ms Clarkson was right in dismissing the rest of the world. The countries she discusses are mainly the UK, France, the United States, Canada, and Australia. This inexplicable emphasis on English-speaking countries, I think, might simply be the result of Ms Clarkson's source material, which according the the bibliography in the back, was exclusively English as well. Although she provides a recipe for apple strudel in the back, arguing that strudel is a pie as well, she does not mention the significance of strudel in Austrian culture; nor is any mention spared for possible East-European, Asian, African, or South-American pies.
Pie can only be considered a global history if one's world is comprised by the West. As far as Western culinary history goes, it is a nice readable little booklet with plenty of pictures and old-English recipes.
July 2, 2014
Who wouldn't want to read a book about pie? My only regret is that I didn't have an actual pie to eat whilst reading about pie. This book was light and fun and had a pleasant conversational tone, which seems just right for pie.
(Though how one can have a chapter on fictional pies and not include Pushing Daisies is beyond me. I can only hope that the book was drafted before it started airing, even if it was published long after.)
(Though how one can have a chapter on fictional pies and not include Pushing Daisies is beyond me. I can only hope that the book was drafted before it started airing, even if it was published long after.)
June 3, 2022
Concentrates mostly on savory meat pies. This is probably fair given the actual history of pie making (fruit pies are a relatively new invention, and cream pies even newer) but it does mean leaving out an awful lot of the current world of pies. The chapter on pies in pop culture is necessarily so brief and skips so much that I kind of wonder what the point of it was.
November 4, 2025
Probably 3-3.5 stars. I enjoy the writing style of the book and the numerous images but I did not feel that it was layer out in a way such that I learned a cohesive history of pie, unlike with “Soup a Global History” written by the same author. There were, however many fun facts about pie and pastry, so I can’t say it was not a worthwhile read.
July 29, 2020
Like most of the books in this series, Pie was a fun read. Informative, engagingly styled with enticing prose and illustrations and concise, Pie is worth an afternoon's indulgence.
May 3, 2025
Lots of history, fascinating facts, and even some linguistic sleuthing about the work pie. A short, fun read.
March 4, 2020
Is there anything in the world of food more perfectly planned and wholesome than a pie? A whole meal, enclosed in a delicious crust. Savoury, sweet, or both (like the famous Bedfordshire clanger), they deliver everything one needs in a moment of hungriness: nourishment, great taste and comfort. What is the pie? How and when was did it come to existence? What makes a great pie? All these questions, and many more, are answered in Janet Clarkson’s volume in The Edible Series, 'Pie. A Global History.' (...)
Full review at https://ahohomemadefood.com/2020/03/0...
Full review at https://ahohomemadefood.com/2020/03/0...
December 26, 2011
Nice back story on pie.....that once everything baked in an oven, except bread, was pie. Great descriptions of early pies and a good quote: "The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, scuplture, poetry, music and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry:, Antonin
February 7, 2015
Americans, who think of pie as exclusively a fruit-based phenomenon, may be disappointed that their pie gets short shrift, but the writing is strong, and the history is good. And gotta love the quote that starts chapter 4 from Jane Austen! Looking forward to trying some of the recipes!
November 30, 2009
Purpotedly a "global history," but very definitely slanted to England and the commonwealth. Still, some interesting and amusing factoids.
November 18, 2009
Now this is how culinary history ought to be done!
November 25, 2016
An interesting look at pies. Covered a bit of everything, science, history and cultural.
February 1, 2013
fun read
January 25, 2014
Short fun look at pies.
January 9, 2016
Very informative
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews