The Pumpkin Pie Made Its Seasonal Appearance - Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

The Pumpkin Pie Made Its Seasonal Appearance - Dr. Ed Iannuccilli

I was strolling the market last week, and in a flash, I picked up a pumpkin pie and popped it in the carriage. It was there, and it was Thanksgiving time, and the thanks genie said, “Pumpkin, pumpkin, right here. And don’t forget, I work well with a dollop of whipped cream.” What a sly marketing trick nestling those pies among the cranberries and faux maple leaves. I bought two.

Pumpkin pie means Thanksgiving. Vibrant. Visually appealing. Appetizing. Colorful. Oh sure, I had a science background, and I knew that carotenoid compounds contributed to that color. I knew the pie had to be good for you. Vitamin A and stuff like that excused the extra slice. But even more, that orange color meant warmth, seasonal, predictable, and memorable; the kind that means Fall in New England. Sure the apple-cranberry and the custard gave the pumpkin a tussle, but the pumpkin outran them.

Pumpkin pie has both a sweet and spicy taste. The texture is smooth and creamy especially topped with that dollop. And I enjoy the crusty, crunchy, buttery crust.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The story about pie on Thanksgiving Day is important because it is such a critical part of the dinner, almost as popular as the turkey. Pumpkin pie leads the list with custard a close second. It reminds me of the custard pie days of my youth.

Custard was the pie I ordered when my mother took me on her downtown Saturday shopping jaunts. She was energetic and I tired quickly so I needed rest and fuel. Knowing that I loved custard pie and that the Boston Store in the center of Providence had the best, she chose to stop there. We sat at the counter where that huge chunk of pie was accompanied by a huge glass of ice-cold milk. I wolfed them . . . pie, milk, pie, milk, pie, milk. The combo was deadly, a fatal trigger.

Shortly after we left the counter and not long into Mom’s re-jaunt, I stopped. “Mom. I gotta go.”

She knew the issue. Serious. “Hold it. Hold it.” She started her run, pulling, dragging me along, nearly lifting me off the ground, my free hand grabbing my mid-section. “There. There. We made it!” Oh well, an inconvenient shopper’s distraction.

Why do we eat pie on Thanksgiving? It certainly wasn't part of any feast involving the Pilgrims and the Native Americans, even though they brought pumpkins as gifts to the first settlers and taught them its many uses. They wouldn't have had the ingredients necessary for making a pie crust. But pie infiltrated our culture and stayed.

Pumpkin pie is the most popular during Thanksgiving and has been enjoyed by Americans since the 17th century. Author Sarah Josepha Hale (“Mary Had a Little Lamb”) promoted the idea. She also suggested pumpkin pie for the table.

So this Thanksgiving, the pumpkin made its expected appearance for us, and so did a custard. Oops, and a sliver of apple sneaked in. I enjoyed them all. And I was fine.