First things first. If you are a dessert lover then you would know that everything from cronuts to strawberry shortcakes is passe now. The sweet treat of the moment is a key lime pie. The new addition to slick city restaurant menus, the popularity of this tangy pie in India is nothing short of a surprise. Mostly because while Indians too love their sweets, for some reason, pies haven’t been able to warm Indians hearts as much as a halwa or even for that matter a creme brulee may have done. According to some food theorists, it could be because Indians like their desserts velvety and soft and a pie, which is a dessert moulded in a crust and filled with gooey fruity flavour, is a variation from how Indians have traditionally associated a sweet dish with.
But despite this, apple and cherry pies have had their brief fan moments in the country. However, as our taste buds are evolving and younger Indians are getting more and more receptive to global tastes, key lime pies seem to be the latest entrant to the new food craze.
Where It Came From?
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Key lime pie is an American dessert and its main ingredient is well – no prizes for guessing – key lime. While you may wonder how a key lime is different from a regular lime, then the answer is that a key lime is a smaller variation of the more popularly found lime. It is however tangier and more aromatic. It is for these very reasons that key limes are specifically chosen to make this citrusy dessert. The other ingredients of the pie are eggs, condensed milk all moulded together in a pie crust. Interestingly, a reaction between egg yolks, condensed milk and lime juice leads to a reaction that thickens the filling. So much so that some of the earlier recipes did not require baking at all.
The Origin
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The origin of this pie can be traced back to the 20th century. The earliest known recipes were found in Key West area in Florida, US. According to some legends the preparation of key lime pie was more need best as before the industrial revolution, where refrigerator had not reached America, the dessert utilized ingredients such as limes that have longer shelf life. It is for the same reason that also the original recipe did not require any cooking so many modern kitchen equipments, were not available.
So, if you are game for a tangy sweet treat then a key lime pie is just the recipe you may need.
