It’s National Pie Day in the US on December 1st and we thought that’s a really cool day to celebrate. Who doesn’t love some sweetie..err.. sweet pies?!

A baked dish with a pastry crust and a sweet or savoury stuffing is pretty much how a pie is characterised. And by that classification probably every country would have a variant that fits in there. Take baked samosa for instance – probably a distant relative of the pie family?

We tried to look around for more and found many such versions from different cuisines. Bringing some of them to you, our best pastry chefs and bakers are putting together a range of pies on Holachef just for a day – of course, it’s something you shouldn’t be missing! And while you feast on them, read here what people across the world are eating.

Buttermilk Pie

Americans consider pie as a go-to food and their most favourite one is invariably the apple pie. For them, it is a symbol of get-togethers, especially family meals. Buttermilk pie is one of the simplest and a bit different than others. As the name suggests, this one is about adding buttermilk to the dough along with other regular ingredients. More of a bread pie with less to no stuffing, the end result is a golden-baked delight with simple flavours!

Bisteeya

Known for their lovely stew and the fresh ingredients used in cooking, Morocco has a delicious take on the pie. Bisteeya is cooked on special occasions and the preparation is sometimes a family affair. What makes it different is the perfect balance of savoury and sweet flavours. Bisteeya is quite thick and has layers of shredded chicken, herb flavoured thick sauce blended with eggs and a final layer of roasted almonds with subtle flavours of sugar and cinnamon.

Meat Pie

Meat pie in Australia is known for its rich filling of thick, meat gravy. When it was introduced in the 1800s, meat pie mainly constituted of mutton. From then on, it has evolved with different fillings while keeping the traditional method intact. A thick pie, it simply has a crust stuffed with beef curry cooked in beautiful flavours from herbs, spices and sauces. Baked till the top crust turns golden – a delicious pie to bite into!

Baked Veg Puff

An Indian version or a rather disintegrated pie, the puff has made it to almost all the  bakery shelves across the country, not to forget the college canteens and coffee shops. Indians love their snacks crunchy and the puff is a light and filling snack. The most adored variety is the one with a stuffing of boiled potatoes sauteed with Indian spices, although from egg to fruits we have tried to fit in everything inside that flaky crust.

Buko Pie

This was inspired from apple pie and was recreated using tropical ingredients in the Philippines. Buko is the local word for coconut and as the name suggests, Filipinos prepare their stuffing with a delightful mixture of coconut water, fruit flesh, sugar and evaporated milk. This tropical beauty is then  baked to achieve a golden top. If you ever happen to visit Laguna don’t forget to try the Buko pie.

Coulibiac

Have you ever heard of a rice and fish pie? Russians have been eating different versions of pie since the 16th century with vegetable and meat fillings. Termed as one of the best pie recipes, pastry sheets are filled with herb and spice seasoned, par-cooked rice, a layer of pan-seared salmon fillets and topped with some more rice. Sealed with another pastry sheet, the pie is ready to go in the oven to be baked to awesomeness.

Hornazo

A delight from Spain, this pie was traditionally baked around Easter. Now a delicacy available throughout the year, it has a delicious and simple filling. Pie crust is stuffed with a meat mixture of chorizo in addition to any one more type of meat along with boiled eggs. That’s not all, the sauteed mixture releases fat  which goes into the filling as well, enhances the flavours of the meat and brings out a delicious Spanish pie.

Mince Pie

Pie was initially  introduced in Britain as an easy dinner option with savoury fillings while the  dessert ones came in much later. Mince pies are a Christmas favourite in the UK. A slightly modern twist to these has the minced meat blended with fruits! Classic or modern, these are a delicious, golden-top treat.

Quiche

France is known for showering foodie love on to the world with both its complex and simple recipes. One such absolute favourite is quiche. Although synonymous with France, it is known to have originated in Germany. A savoury pie with a number of different fillings, cheese was introduced to quiche quite later but ever since has become one of its star ingredients. The cheesy quiche is widely popular in India as well.

Spanakopita

Spanakopita is essentially a spinach filled pie. There are a plethora of other pies from Greece that mostly are about using basic ingredients and cooking up mouth-watering stuffings. Fresh and simple vegetables make up for the filling of spanakopita. Spinach leaves, onions, garlic, eggs, cheese and a drizzle of olive oil create the perfect blend of flavours for this pie. Seal it with a pastry sheet top and let it bake to a golden crust.

Let’s start December on a piey note! Check out from an assortment and pick your favourite at Holachef.