Food

National Coconut Cream Pie Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

The exact date of the first observance of National Coconut Cream Pie Day cannot be determined through exhaustive research, but the pie itself has been around for a very long time.

National Coconut Cream Pie Day is celebrated annually on May 8 in honour of the supreme custard-and-cream dessert. On this day, we ponder the utter delectability of the coconut cream pie and, of course, indulge in a slice. It’s the start of warmer weather and longer, more leisurely days that are perfectly punctuated by a slice of this cold, creamy pie. Coconut cream pie consists of a custard made of coconut milk, sugar, egg yolks, cornflour, and butter, crowned with a mound of whipped cream and toasted coconut shavings. But the whole is always greater than the sum of its elements. Because coconut cream pie is practically miraculous, it has its own day on our calendar.

The Background of National Coconut Cream Pie Day

The exact date of the first observance of National Coconut Cream Pie Day cannot be determined through exhaustive research, but the pie itself has been around for a very long time. With advancements in importing and exporting perishable products in the 19th century, Americans and Europeans fell in love with tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples. Coconuts were ‘on the radar,’ but they were susceptible to spoilage on lengthy overland journeys and were often difficult to prepare due to a lack of recipe ideas.

When their experts began shredding and drying coconut flesh, a French export company in what is now Sri Lanka solved the problem of shipping coconut meat. This greatly increased the food’s accessibility to American and European chefs and cooks. The popularity of the coconut increased worldwide.

Its status as a’regular’ pie ingredient was cemented in 1895, when a Philadelphia miller received a shipment of coconuts from a Cuban client as repayment for a debt. The miller established a factory process for dehydrating coconut meat, began distributing it, and became the impetus for coconut-related recipes to be published in publications and gain worldwide popularity. No one knows for certain who created the first coconut cream pie, but by the turn of the 20th century, they were ubiquitous.

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Activities on NATIONAL COCONUT CREAM PIE DAY

Have one (or two) slices.

This is a no-brainer for every holiday involving cuisine. And they differ in terms of how challenging it is to get your hands — and fork — on the food in question. But we can say unequivocally that coconut cream pie is among the most deserving of a special trip. Mm-mm, excellent!

Try your hand at making a coconut custard pie.

Considering that the crust, custard, and cream are all prepared separately, chilled, and then combined, this pie preparation requires a delicate balance, especially if you’re timing it to be ready at a particular hour. However, it is a labour of affection that, if successful, results in one of the best sweet treats we know.

Join the celebrations online

Follow the hashtag #CoconutCreamPieDay to discover numerous recipes, histories, and discussions pertaining to this delectable dessert. You could even host a Zoom dessert party, with each guest snacking on camera while smiling happily.

5 AMAZING FACTS ABOUT COCONUTS

Coconut meat contains a high concentration of cytokinins, a class of hormones that promotes plant growth and aids in pathogen resistance.

The coconut is technically neither a kernel nor a fruit; it is a seed!

During plasma shortages, coconut water has traditionally been substituted for plasma in intravenous transfusions.

Portuguese sailors originally ascribed the word “coco” to the seed because they believed the three indentations on its shell resembled the visage of a legendary goblin by the same name.

About 150 persons are killed annually by falling coconuts, which is double the number of deaths caused by shark attacks.