Bean pie facts for kids
A selection of bean pies (October 2002)
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| Type | Pie |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Main ingredients | Beans (usually navy beans) Sugar Butter Milk Spices |
A bean pie is a delicious sweet pie that has a creamy filling. This filling is made from mashed beans, usually navy beans. It also includes sugar, eggs, milk, butter, and various spices.
Common spices that give bean pies their flavor are vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sometimes, people add other spices like cloves, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, or lemon extract for different tastes.
A Special Pie for a Community
Bean pies are very well-known in the food traditions of African-American Muslims. They are often seen as a different choice from traditional soul food dishes. However, bean pies that contain vanilla extract or imitation vanilla extract are usually avoided because they contain alcohol.
This pie is especially connected to the Nation of Islam Movement. Its leader, Elijah Muhammad, encouraged people to eat bean pies. He saw them as a good food choice, different from some ingredients found in soul food.
How Bean Pies Help Communities
Members of the Nation of Islam often sell bean pies to help raise money for their community. This is a common way they support their activities and projects.
The idea for the bean pie is said to have come from the founder of the Nation of Islam, Wallace Fard Muhammad. Before he started the movement in the early 1930s, he had worked as a restaurateur in the 1910s and 1920s.
See also
In Spanish: Pastel de frijoles para niños
