The Complete History of Mince Pies

The history of mince pies stems from the Middle Ages. At first, they had nothing to do with Christmas celebrations.

Instead, mincemeat was seen merely as a way of preserving meat and an alternative to filling frumenty, dried fruit porridge that served as the origin of Christmas pudding.

You may wonder, how did mince pies get their name? Unsurprisingly, initially, mincemeat wasn’t vegetarian. Indeed, it featured pork, lamb, or beef, which gave people strength after a lean pre-Christmas period.

Unlike many other ancient recipes, mince pies haven’t changed drastically. Indeed, the ingredients varied depending on the period and region, but the recipe always remains recognizable.

In the 20th-century US, mince pies have become sort of a national symbol.

They were called “as American as the Red Indians” and were consumed not solely for Christmas but year-round – as an entrée, main course, or dessert, for breakfast or dinner.

What Is a Mince Pie?

A mince pie as we know it today is a sweet pie featuring dried fruits and spices. Spirits are optional but relatively common in the mixture.

Sometimes, mince pies are made with beef suet or venison, yet the practice of adding meat into mince pies sees a decline in popularity.

You may often come across small mince pies instead of a single large one. The top of mince pies is traditionally covered in sugar powder.

Mince pies can be eaten cold or hot, with some ice cream or heavy cream on the side for contrast.

Mince pies are also known as fruit mince pie or Christmas pie, and the dried fruit mixture inside of it is called mincemeat.

Nowadays, mincemeat is typically made from dried fruits and spices only, especially when it comes to store-bought pies. But traditionally, it’s made with candied peel, nutmeg, cloves, and some spirit for a richer taste.

Mince pie ingredients are similar to those used in Christmas puddings. Consequently, the taste is also very much alike, yet the texture is different – mince pies are softer and juicier.

As they are moister, mince pie shelf life is shorter. Experts recommend keeping mince pies frozen for no longer than three months and consuming unfrozen pies within a week.

Christmas pudding, in turn, can last for nearly a year in a cool and dry place.

The Original Mince Pie

The discrepancy of the name “mince pie” and ingredients of this dish often causes confusion in people unfamiliar with it. And even those who enjoy mince pies every Christmas sometimes wonder why a mince pie is called so?

Like many ancient recipes, mince pies have undergone some adjustments until they became a widely established Christmas tradition.

Initially, mince pies were made with meat, usually beef or lamb. The combination of meat, fruits, and spices brought from the Middle East to Europe was very popular when mince pies originated.

Historians believe that original mince pies were larger than their modern versions and featured an oblong shape.

Such speculation was derived from a quote made by 17th-century British jurist John Selden: “the coffin of our Christmas pies, in shape long, in an imitation of Jesus’ crib.”

So, the first mince pies were made in an oblong shape to represent the manger of Jesus.

The combination of Eastern spices, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove, symbolized the Magi or Three Wise Men, who came to see newborn Christ from Eastern lands and brought gifts.

The mix of meat and dried fruit may seem odd to some people nowadays, but historians have multiple explanations for such a filling choice.

The first version is that the mincemeat recipe was derived from Middle East cooking methods.

Others argue that such a combination was chosen as it’s very filling and was ideal after a pre-Christmas fast or that mincemeat was mainly seen as a way of preserving meat rather than a delicious dish.

Lastly, some experts draw connections between mincemeat and the pagan practice of presenting Gods with sweetmeats during the winter solstice festival Saturnalia.

Mince Pie in the UK

The first record of mince pie in the UK dates to the 1390s.

English cookbook A Forme of Cury, written on a scroll as all books at that time, mentions “tartes of flesh,” made with grind-up pork, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, spices, and sugar.

In the early 15th century, King Henry V asked to serve a mince pie as the main course at his coronation, and thus, the dish started to gain popularity.

The recipe was constantly developing. Hard-boiled eggs and cheese were replaced with prunes, dates, cloves, mace, and orange peel, and instead of pork, Brits used entire mutton legs or beef suet.

Until the 17th century, mince pies weren’t associated with Christmas. It isn’t clear who exactly started the custom of eating mince pies for Christmas.

But the tradition didn’t become exclusively Christmassy right away, and people continued making mince pies for other occasions, too.

For instance, English diarist Samuel Pepys served 18 mince pies at his friend’s wedding anniversary in 1661, one for each year of marriage.

Mince pie history wasn’t always merry and bright. During Oliver Cromwell’s reign that followed the Protestant reformation, spiced dishes were illegal.

Protestants strived to ban any frivolous customs related to Christian religious holidays, and spiced treats were seen as an indulgence. However, the prohibition law never mentioned mince pies in particular.

With the arrival of the Georgian Era, spices were back on the menu. The first mention of a mince pie recipe not involving meat dates to 1747.

The Art of Cookery book by Hannah Glasse suggests mixing currants, raisins, apples, sugar, citrus peel, and red wine. Again, meat is mentioned as optional and is recommended to be finely ground if used.

With the rising number of sugarcane plantations owned by the Brits, sweet mince pies have seen a steep increase in popularity.

So, Mrs. Beetton’s Book of Household Management (1861) provides two mince pie recipes, one meaty and the second one made solely with dried fruits, spices, candied peel, and brandy.

During the Victorian Era, mince pies began to be seen as an exclusively Christmas dish.

In fact, the Queen Victoria of England is accountable for the popularity of many modern Christmas traditions. She didn’t invent either of them, yet she helped to resurrect many customs forgotten after the Protestant reformation.

Mince Pie in the US

Like many other Christmas traditions, mince pies arrived in the US with British settlers in the 17th century.

The settlers were mainly Puritans, who stood against any frivolous and desacralizing additions to Christmas, spiced treats including. Thus, mince pies in America were first seen as a Thanksgiving dish.

When the Protestant reformation ended, mince pies slowly started acquiring connections with Christmas. By the end of the 19th century, they were a widely accepted winter holiday tradition.

American newspapers of the 19th-20th centuries call mince pies “unquestionably the monarch of pies” and “the great American viand.” In other words, the dish became the most-favored pastry nationwide.

In 1907, Washington Post wrote: “Mince pie is mince pie. There is no other pie to take its place.

Custard pie is good, and so is apple pie, but neither has the uplifting power and the soothing, gratifying flavor possessed by mince pie when served hot, with a crisp brown crust.”

In 20th century America, mince pies were such an indistinguishable part of Christmas celebrations that following their prohibition in Chicago in the 1930s, the town saw an alcohol level spike of over 14%.

So, perhaps, people strived to counterbalance the lack of merriness and cheer on Christmas time.

American mince pie recipe is no different from the British one. However, mince pies in the US are usually full-sized, as opposed to British individual small pies.

Mince Pie Traditions & Superstitions

Like many Christmas recipes, mince pies are surrounded by superstitions and traditions. So, mincemeat in the UK is often made on stir-up Sunday, the same day as Christmas pudding.

It’s the last Sunday before Advent. Every family member gets to stir the mixture and make a wish while doing so. It’s important to stir the mincemeat clockwise, as stirring it anti-clockwise is believed to bring bad luck.

Eating mince pies every day during the Twelve Days of Christmas is meant to bring luck and happiness for the upcoming year. So, to follow this custom, you should have an entire wagon of mince pies.

Sometimes, the tops of mince pies are decorated with stars, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem. Like spices present in mincemeat, stars are a reference to the Three Wise Men.

Mince Pie Variations

Mince pie has much fewer variations than Christmas pudding. However, some aspects of the recipe differ depending on the region.

In Scotland, a popular version of a mince pie is called shred pie. Like in old times, shred pie traditionally features beef suet and nutmeg, giving the dish a distinct meaty flavor.

During the late 19th century, people in Britain used to make apple mincemeat. It included apples, suet, brown sugar, allspice, apple cider, and citrus peel.

Modern chefs tend to experiment with mince pie ingredients, adding unexpected notes to the traditional recipe.

For instance, some suggest making almond or meringue-topped mince pies or replacing regular dough with puff pastry. Vegan-friendly and gluten-free versions are also gaining popularity.

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