Apple Pie as totem food - Research Paper Example

Full Department: Apple Pie as Totem Food. Totemism has long been associated with its tribal origins. The dictionary describes, “A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.” An animal, plant or object representative of that tribe was a totem, these animals were also revered as guardians of the tribes or the tribes became protectors of that animal. The most evidence available of Totemism is its early existence in North America among the native Indian tribes, specifically the Ojibwa. However Totemisn as a culture was prevalent even in Australia, parts of Asia, Eastern Europe and even Africa. Historical records shows that the word “Totem’ also grew to represent the staple diet of the region or the food that was prevalent in that region. This food could even be the very animals that the tribes were guardians of. The word, “Totem foods” have however gained popularity as popular foods and delicacies of a particular region. In this essay we will look at the Apple pie, which is undoubtedly one of the most popular desserts of the United States and its evolution into a Totem food. In order to establish this it is important to review the evolution of the American Apple Pie based on the below: 1. The growth of Apple cultivation in the US. 2. Origins of the Apple Pie. 3. “As American as Apple Pie” 4. The Apple Pie Today. Based on the information that we corroborate from the above subheadings we will see it is right to refer to apple pie as the Totem food of the US. Apple Cultivation in the US: Apple as a fruit in itself was more predominant in Asia and Europe. The first apple was said to be cultivated in the “ northern slopes of the Tien Shan, the mountain range running for a thousand miles between the Chinese border to the east and Uzbekistan, in fact almost to the Caspian Sea, in the west.” (Juniper, 2011). The biblical reference to the apple as the forbidden fruit could also have emerged from the fact that Mount Ararat; the resting place of Noah’s ark is also around this region. The mountain range is in present day Turkey and extends from Iran to Armenia, which encompasses the region where the first instance of apple cultivations were found. Turkey till today remains one of the biggest producers of apples in the world. Earliest origins of apple cultivation could be dated back to 8000BC with the discovery of agriculture when nomadic settlements settled in the fertile lands along the Tigris and Euphrates and moving from there to other regions with the onset of trade and military expeditions. There is evidence that the early colonists brought with them the first seen apples, crab apples in US. Crab apples are considered the native apples of America and since then there are more than 20 different varieties of apples grown in the US. It is believed that John Endecott, an early governor, was the first to bring an apple tree to North America, and the first orchard was planted on Beacon Hill by a clergyman named William Blaxton. (Nahmias, 2012) The apple consequently grew to become a part of the staple diet, as it could be easily stored in winter. Despite the fact that apples were not initially from North America, and have been growing disease-free for centuries in their native habitats, the early settlers found that the long, hot summers and cold winters of New England grew apples unlike anywhere else in the world.  New England apples are known not only for their unique blend of tart and sweet flavours, but also for their size and freshness. (Nahmias, 2012). The growing of apple consequently began to be viewed as a status symbol. With the growing popularity of the American Apple Pie, diplomats and statesmen began to grow the prize apples for these pies in their backyard. It is therefore no coincidence that 60% of the nation’s yearly harvest in apples comes from the State of Washington. Recorded history shows evidence that Apple Pie was served as a gourmet desserts during dinners for Diplomats held in the White House. Though France records the maximum yearly harvest of apples, America ranks first in the cultivation and use of Apples in the world harvesting a minimum of one hundred million Bushels of Apples a year Origins of the Apple pie: Now that we have an idea of the speciality of the American grown apple, we will need to examine the origins of the Apple Pie. Historical record of the making of pies goes back the ancient Greeks who experimented and created the concept of a stuffing within a crust. Earliest examples of Pies however had meat and poultry fillings in them. When the Romans invaded Greece they also carried their pie culture to other parts of Europe. The concept of a “sweet pie” came much after the Mediterranean crusaders who settled in parts of Medieval Europe and introduced the culture to the English. It is believed that the English and Dutch settlers brought the pie to American soil. The early English pies were still filled with meat; even their fruit pies were not as sweet as they are today. This could be because of the high cost of sugar and cane products in those days. The French however experimented with their sweet pies and came up with a variety of them. The making of pies in those days were also a much elaborate process and were cooked in large batches and cooked to last a few meals. The concept and the mechanism of cooking in small quantities or single pies came much later. As a result of pies being their staple diet the early settlers brought their pie recipes to the “New World.” “They changed and adapted the Old World pies to their new environment.  The settlers added new ingredients, like molasses, eggs, and cranberries, and created new styles of pie making.” (Sklarz, 2012). The piecrusts also became edible as against the early versions where the outer shell was designed more like a pocket or coffin to hold the stuffing. Therefore we can see that the American Apple Pie is English and European in origin. Therefore the concept of the Apple pie on Thanksgiving dinner did not come before the 17th century. There is no historical evidence that the first thanksgiving had any sweet pies as part of the menu. Pilgrims brought English-style, meat-based recipes with them to the colonies. While pumpkin pie, which is first recorded in a cookbook in 1675, originated from British spiced and boiled squash, it was not popularized in America until the early 1800s. Historians don't know all the dishes the Pilgrims served in the first Thanksgiving feast, but primary documents indicate that pilgrims cooked with fowl and venison. (Mayer, 2008) The culture of pie eating however caught on very quickly and history has evidence that Thanksgiving dinner was postponed one year as the ships carrying the molasses were delayed. It had become unthinkable to have a thanksgiving dinner without pie. (Sklarz, 2012). Slowly with the development of technology, pies got more interesting and started to get filled with anything from chocolate to ice cream. However the evolution of the Apple pie from its single crusted English version is uniquely American. The Dutch settlers in Pennsylvania are also credited with perfecting the recipe of fruit pies, as we know it today. The growing cultivation of many varieties of apples in America also led to many interesting variations in the making of Apple Pie. It is not surprising that the making of pie and especially Apple pie marked the Independence Day celebrations especially for the people in New England following the Boston Massacre. Although the Apple Pie gained more and more popularity with the American population it was not until the early 20th century that it gained its popularity that it enjoys today as the ultimate comfort food. As an article reported in the Chicago Reader, reported the immense popularity enjoyed by mince pie as a dessert of choice.  It was the indispensable comfort dish dispatched to American expeditionary forces in World War I to reinforce their morale with the taste of home. 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 flavour possessed by mince pie when served hot, with a crisp brown crust.” (Washington Post 1907) As American as Apple Pie: During the 1930’s at the time of World War II, agriculture in the US reached its peak. Although many famers had been enlisted and farming faced a massive shortage of hands, it is almost considered a golden era because it was the time of great mechanical innovations. The farmers started relying more on advanced machinery to make up for the shortage of labour. The American government lent their support to the farmers by maintaining the prices as they were before the war. This is probably the most noted period of American innovation of the Apple pie. Although there is no evidence to the fact, this could have been the time when the phrase “As American as Apple Pie” got coined. Ironically this was the period of he fake apple pie released by Ritz biscuits. Due to the shortage of apples and also the high prices of apples because of the war, this American dessert was not as affordable as it used to be. Therefore Ritz came up with the idea of crackers, coated with sugar syrup and topped with cinnamon and butter to give the consistency of apple filing. It was the closest in taste to real apples at that time. Men who were enlisted also relished these iconic mock apple pies. World War II also saw a new wave of propaganda in the USA instigated by the American government under President Franklin Roosevelt. The wave of creative advertising promoted the war and the soldiers involved in he fighting as heroes and patriots who were to be supported back home by all, friends and family. Burnt and bitter from the memories of World War I, the American people were easily taken in by the community drives and campaigns to promote the war, and fight defeatism. Women especially were lured into the labour force, as there was a shortage of male hands. Housewives were encouraged to enter into many levels of the work force while the government offered child care support to take care of the homes that they were forced to neglect to contribute to the economy. Major campaigns were launched to encourage women to enter the work force and convince their husbands that this was appropriate behavior. Government campaigns targeting women were addressed solely at housewives, perhaps because already employed women could move to the higher-paid "essential" jobs on their own. (Rupp, 1978) The American woman also was depicted as glamorous and the home front was given a lot of emphasis to boost the morale of those fighting for their country. American moms were depicted as icons with advertisements depicting them holding Apple Pies, waiting for their heroes to come back home. “Mom’s Apple Pie” was the key slogan of many wartime posters during the propaganda campaign to promote the home front. The popular standard answer to interview questions on what they missed the most about home became “Mom and Apple Pie” (Thinkquote, 1999-2012). The Apple Pie had become symbolic of all things American. The propaganda and the drive to lead the women into the work force during WWII also saw some innovations in the kitchen front. In an attempt to make things easier on the home front for the workingwoman, the kitchen caught the fancy of many engineers and several appliances and food concepts made their appearance. Frozen dinners and canned foods were introduced to make cooking less of a chore. What took hours of painstaking preparation and meticulous calculations was now possible in just 10 minutes without losing its essence. The fact that the apple Pie featured quite prominently in frozen foods also shows the American allegiance to the Apple Pie and evidence that it had become a part of American culinary tradition. The gender propaganda however also ended almost immediately after the war. In the 1940s men came back from the war and took over their jobs leaving the woman back to where she started. There was much less to do on the home front. The extreme automation had left women with much less to do in the kitchen front. They had lost their roles in the kitchen as well in a way. In the words of Mathews as quoted in “What happened to Rosie?” This same industrialization had a less encouraging effect on the housewives of the 1950's.  As her job was made easier, there were less things for the American housewife to take pride in.  Prepared foods began to replace the many hours that women used to spend making meals.  Instead, they embraced the "cream-of-mushroom-soup school of cuisine," meaning that a can of this soup poured over any non-dessert food made a gourmet meal!  Betty Friedan said that women were confined to stoves in the 1950's.  But, in reality, the convenience foods, canned goods and frozen dinners made for easy cooking.  An issue of the Journal had recipes that called for canned pears, canned sweet potatoes, frozen broccoli, pudding mix, canned salmon and bakery apple pie.  Peg Braken published a cookbook in 1960 entitled I Hate to Cook Book. The housewife of the 1950's was quite different from the non-industrialized housewife of previous American history. (qtd. in Hunt, 1999) The concept of pie making and especially the Apple pie did not disappear after World War II, it just got easier with readymade crusts and easy to make frozen pies. The art of traditional pie making was now more a trend seen among farm wives and in urban areas. There was a new wave of pie cook-offs and competitions as housewives vied with each other to gain the reputation of the best pie makers. The Apple Pie Today American’s and the Apple Pie can never be too far apart and the art of home made pies made a comeback among American housewives in the 1980’s. Apple pies are still an important part of Thanksgiving and Independence Day, celebrations thus marking the “Americanism” of Apple Pie. Fast food chains like McDonalds immortalized the American Apple pie that came with the boost in the Economy in the twentieth century. Bakeries and grocery stores started selling Apple pies. Apple pies started to be associated with all things American. Commercial evidence to that is the popular jingle of the 1970’s “Baseball, Hot dogs, Apple pie and Chevrolet,” that summarized all things American. The American Apple pie as we know it today and the adage, “ as American as apple pie” implies the improvement of the original recipe that the British brought with them. It cannot be however ignored that the Apple Pie marks the growth of America’s gastronomical rise in desserts from colonization towards freedom and prosperity. The Apple Pie started off as an imported concept established itself as a mark of status and thereon to the mark of prosperity and freedom in the minds of the American people. The Apple Pie may not have been native to American soil as also its main ingredient, the apple, but it is the American interpretation of the Dutch Apple pie that instigated the French Ambassador to refer to it as the “Great American Dessert”. Apple Pie in American History has inspired more quotes and sayings than any other known dessert in recorded history. It was used as a slogan for everything that represented America and American culture. These pre-Revolutionary prototypes were made with unsweetened apples and encased in an inedible shell. Yet the apple pie did develop a following, and was first referenced in the year 1589, in Menaphon by poet R. Greene: "Thy breath is like the steeme of apple pies." (500 years later, we have "I'm Lovin' It", thanks to McDonald's and its signature apple pie in an individual-serving sleeve.) Pies today are world-spanning treats, made with everything from apples to avocados. The winners of this year's annual APC Crisco National Pie Championship included classic apple, pumpkin and cherry pies, but citrus pies, banana foster creme and Wolf Pack trail mix pies have all made the awards list. Pies have come a long way since the days of magpie and pepper, but many bakeries — including The Little Pie Shop in New York City; say a classic apple pie is still their top holiday seller. (Mayer, 2008)  Therefore based on the above, we can see that the Apple Pie originated from Europe, which, the America’s ancestors brought with them to the free world. The European Apple Pie graduated from the unsweetened pie with the single layer un-edible crust to its delicious crispy edible double crusted form when these ancestors adapted the pie to make up for the pie they missed and longed for and cherished in their free homeland in the “New World. ” It is in America that the Apple Pie obtained its culmination as the food of delight and took over from the mince pie as the ultimate comfort food. There are more recipe books on the variations of the American Apple pie than any other even in Europe. The Apple pie in America is a symbol of patriotism and representative of the struggle to be an American and to live the American dream. There are towns in the US today, which have been named in the honour of their Apple pie. It was and remains the first dessert to represent all things typical of a country. We have seen enough evidence to the justification to the adage “As American as Apple Pie,” therefore it is not too far from the truth to call the Apple pie, the totem food of America. Works Cited Barrie Juniper, Where did apples come from? Orange Pippin. April 2011. March 19,2012. www.orangepippin.com/.../apple-facts/where-did-apples-come-from Gerald Massey. Totemism, Tattoo and Fetishism as Forms of Sign Language. p.49-51 Laura Mayer. A brief history of Pie. TIME. November 26, 2008. March 20, 2012. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1862315,00.html  Leila J. Rupp, Mobilizing Women for War, Princeton Univ Press. (1978) Mainstreet Zoo. The Un-American Origin Of Apple Pie. The Political Reserve. June 29, 2011 March 19,2012. http://mainstreetzoo.com/2011/06/29/the-un-american-origin-of-apple- pie/ Merriam Webster Inc. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition. 2012. March 19,2012. http://www.merriam- webster.com/dictionary/totem Stradley, Linda. Apple Pie - History of Apple Pie. What's Cooking America.net. ThinkExist. Apple Pie Quotes. 1999-2012. March 20,2012. http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/apple_pie/2.html Heather C. Hunt. What Happened to Rosie?. Women in the 1950’s Work Place. 1999. March 20,2012. http://universityhonors.umd.edu/HONR269J/projects/hchunt/main.htm Rachel Namias, Caitlin Sklarz. 2012. March 20,2012. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/facts.html. Read More