I’m usually not a sweets guy, but my mind may have shifted a bit after my time in the Florida Keys. There’s really something special about the tart, sweet combination of egg yolks, lime juice, and condensed milk on a graham cracker crust. Great way to cap off a meal. I think that both the history and current state of key lime pie are interesting, so that’s what I’m gonna write about today.
Origins
There’s a lot of dispute on the origins of the key lime pie. The earliest written record of key lime pie comes from the test kitchen of the Borden Dairy Company in New York City. In 1931, in an effort to sell more of their sweetened condensed milk, they invented the key lime pie, as a new take on their existing Magic Lemon Cream Pie recipe.
One can imagine that the Conchs (the title for people from the Keys) don’t take kindly to having their beloved pie supposedly originating from New York City, and so they have their own version of events:
The prevailing theory is that the key lime pie got its start sometime after the 1850s. The Keys didn’t have much access to fresh milk until after 1930—when the Overseas Highway was built—so when condensed milk (which doesn’t require refrigeration) arrived on the scene in the 1850s, the Keys were the perfect place for it. Sometime after that, sponge fishermen off the coast of the Keys combined condensed milk, lime juice, and pelican eggs to make a tart, custardy pie that didn’t require heat to make.
That takes us to the most-credited person for the invention of the key lime pie: Aunt Sally. Aunt Sally was the name of the cook at the Curry Mansion in Key West (which many people say is haunted, actually). Local legend says that Aunt Sally created the key lime pie for her boss, William Curry, who was known for being a large importer of condensed milk at the time. Many historians believe that she got her recipe from the local fishermen, but regardless, Aunt Sally brought key lime pies into the mainstream, and they’ve been a staple of Keys life ever since.
Key Lime Pie Today
You can’t drive more than a quarter mile without seeing a sign for key lime pies on U.S. Route 1. Every restaurant has one on the menu, and there are countless shacks and dessert shops littered about the Keys touting their pie as the “Best in the Keys”. However, no two pies are the same, and there is one debate in particular that continues to rage in the Conch Republic:
To Meringue or Not To Meringue
If you ask a Conch whether a real key lime pie has meringue on it or not, you’ll get a variety of responses. Some feel that the meringue is an essential part of the KLP experience. Others say real key lime pies never had meringues, and meringue is just a fancy topping people decided to add for flair. And others just like whipped cream.
Turns out, the key lime pie meringue came about as a way to prevent food waste. As the key lime pie recipe moved from pelican eggs to chicken eggs, it was found that separating the eggs whites from the yolks was required to preserve the fat content and flavor of the pie. This meant that makers of the key lime pie were suddenly left with vats of spare egg whites. Not wanting to waste anything, they beat the whites into a meringue, and added it to the pies they made. Problem solved!
So, with that in mind, is a key lime pie with meringue “authentic” or not? Up to you, but all I know is that meringue is delicious.
The Key Lime Pie Landscape
In my time in the Islamorada-Tavernier-Key Largo area, I had a number of decent pies (and even a few bad ones), but here are three in particular that I want to highlight.
Sal Ballyhoo’s
Out of what looks like a ramshackle bar—in-between the two lanes of U.S. Route 1—comes what was probably my favorite pie of the trip. Sal Ballyhoo’s is easily identified by its big fish sign (which also happens to advertise all-you-can-eat crabs), but this spot churns out a rich, decadent pie with a graham cracker crust, and a meringue that looks like a cross between a vert ramp and one of those ironic golf hats with Guy-Fieri-hair sticking out of it. It’s the sort of pie that makes you die a little bit inside when you have it, because all pies should be this good. Easily one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
Marker 88
Down in Islamorada sits the beachside eatery Marker 88. Another example of an on-ramp-style meringue pie, Marker 88’s pie switches things up by using a pastry pie crust instead of the classic graham cracker crust. They also tone down the intensity of the key lime in this one, resulting in a very smooth, less-tart, airy take on the key lime pie. Nice and light. Super good.
Publix
For those who don’t know, Publix is a popular Southern supermarket chain with quite the fervent fanbase. “Pub Sub” is a common term in the Floridian lexicon, and they’re also well-known for having an excellent bakery. But when I scoured Reddit for pie recommendations in the Keys, I was shocked to see so many residents recommend the Publix key lime pie. And yeah, I have to say, it really doesn’t disappoint. It sticks to the classic recipe (albeit, with whipped cream and almonds on top), and completely executes. It’s a really, really good pie. We constantly had a Publix key lime pie in the fridge for the entirety of our almost 2-month stay, and we definitely went through it at a breakneck pace. However, what was truly amazing about the pie was the value. While Sal Ballyhoo’s and Marker 88 had better pies, those came out to over $7 a slice. For that price, you can actually get an entire pie from Publix instead. Can’t beat it, and I wish I had one in my fridge at this exact moment.
So yep, there you go, a quick synopsis of the key lime pie. I went into my trip not really enjoying them (maybe I hadn’t even had a proper one before the Keys), and now it’s one of my favorite desserts. Give it a try next time you have a chance, it won’t disappoint. Now I just have to find one made with pelican eggs…