History of the Original Tomato Pie (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of tomato pie? ›

Tomato pie was brought to Philadelphia by Southern Italian immigrants in the early twentieth century. The crust is based on a focaccia-like dough popular in the city of Palermo, Sicily, shown here in 1910.

Well, they are strikingly similar, except Philly uses a thick, pasty sauce that tends to be sweet and seasoned lightly with Italian seasoning. The Utica version I reviewed here used more of a hearty marinara sauce with fresh basil in it and virtually no sweetness.

The Birth of Tomato Pie: The story of tomato pie can be traced back to the early 20th century when Italian immigrants settled in Utica, bringing with them their culinary traditions. Inspired by their heritage, these immigrants sought to recreate the flavors of their homeland, resulting in the creation of tomato pie.

Philadelphia Tomato Pie is a Philly thing, but it does have origins back in Southern Italy. It is basically a thick-crust focaccia-like pizza that has a tangy, thick, slightly sweet tomato sauce on top, just a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese, and it is usually served cold.

The Ancient Egyptians created the first example of what we know as pies today. Later on, closer to the 5th Century BC, the Ancient Greeks were believed to invent pie pastry as it is mentioned in the plays of the writer Aristophanes and it was possible to work as a pastry chef in this era, a separate trade to a baker.

The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derives. Its domestication and use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico.

The beauty of Philly-style tomato pie is that many of the best are baked in the same ovens as the hoagie rolls that house the city's best cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches, and sometimes made from the very same dough. Scenes from Sarcone's Bakery, Philadelphia.

Savor the taste of Utica with It's a Utica Thing! Famous Tomato Pie.

While the Philadelphia tomato pie is thick, Trenton tomato pie is round, thin-crusted and includes a layer of cheese between the crust and the topping of tomato sauce. Another difference is the flavor profile of the sauces, with Philadelphia's herbal savoriness contrasting with Trenton's slight sweetness.

Sometime before 2000 BC, a recipe for chicken pie was written on a tablet in Sumer. Pie pastry is believed to have originated in Ancient Greece.

What is a tomato pie vs pizza? ›

It all depends on where you are. In the Philadelphia area, where I grew up, they are the same: a Philly tomato pie is a square, cheeseless or nearly cheeseless pizza with a thick, Sicilian style crust topped with tomato sauce and, at most, just a dusting of grated cheese.

At first, it was bread with oil and herbs. It wasn't until later that mozzarella and tomatoes were added. The modern pizza, as we know it today, became popular in the late 18th century. Back then, it was considered street food.

Topped solely with tomato sauce (and a good amount of it), oregano, Pecorino Romano, and olive oil, this pie relies on the quality of each of these elements being excellent — without a blanket of mozzarella, nothing can hide.

A tomato pie, however, most resembles a New York Sicilian pizza, which is rectangular with a thicker crust. What makes a tomato pie fundamentally different is its toppings. The sauce is supposed to be much thicker, and — perhaps most notably — it has no cheese except for a small sprinkling of Parmesan.

Tomato pie is one of my favorite recipes to make up to 1 whole day ahead of time. Just be sure that you save the pie in the refrigerator and then you can serve it cold, or reheat it.

You find tomato pie throughout the Carolinas, especially the flat coastal areas of the low country—like at Charleston's Dixie Supply Bakery & Cafe, or King's Farm Market, on South Carolina's Edisto Island.

Tomato pie may refer to a pie with tomatoes, such as: Southern tomato pie, a type of savory pie from the Southern United States. Green tomato pie, a sweet pie made with green tomatoes.