In Search Of The Perfect Key Lime Pie Hc
Some people travel to Key West for its sun and miles of beaches. Others travel to Key West for its gay-friendly bars. But for dessert aficionados, there can only be one reason to travel and it is for the Key Lime pie.
For some this may seem like a trivial reason to travel to Key West. After all, Key Lime pie is available in every grocery store and most dessert places. Unfortunately, what most of us pick up from the grocery store is not really key Lime pie. The first Key Lime Pie was created in the 1850's. If you ask locals in Key West about the origins of the pie, most of them will say that it was created by "Aunty Sally". The truth in this hasn't really been investigated. The original Key Lime pie that was made in Key West had a pastry crust. The graham cracker crust came much later. It was introduced only in late 1949. Key lime pies in Key West can be found in places from roadside diners to swank hotel restaurants. And if you drive out along the Key lime pie trail - U.S. 1 from Key Largo to Key West - you'll find no two pies are quite alike. Of course, the difference in each pie is a reflection of the individual nature of each chef. Even in Key West, with its innumerable beach resorts and bed and bed and breakfast accommodations, finding that perfect Key Lime pie may take some time. Modern pastry chefs often add a twist and tweak a basic recipe. Many use graham-cracker or pastry crust tipped with meringue or whipped cream. Most Key limes, which are around the size of a golf ball and yellowish, are grown these days in Mexico The key limes, which is native to Malaysia, first arrived in the Florida Keys in the 1500s. However, a hurricane in 1926 wiped out the key lime plantations in South Florida. Growers replanted all the farms with Persian limes, which are easier to pick and to transport. Today there are hardly a few key lime plantations in Florida Keys, most of them are found in Mexico. However, for an authentic recipe of Key Lime pie, Key West is still the place to go to. The perfect after dinner accompaniment with Key Lime pie is strong Cuban coffee served at most of the Florida Keys restaurants. This is probably the perfect note on which to finish off dinner.
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