National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day

National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day is on August 20th in the United States.

Pecan pie in its various varieties is a popular American dessert dish, especially in the Southern states, and is a traditional holiday dish, but it is a comparatively recent creation. The earliest known recipe only dates back to 1886, although it is claimed to be older.

The primary ingredients for the filling of this pie is corn syrup, but alternatives such as molasses, sugar and maple syrup can all be used, as can honey, and pecan nuts. Other ingredients may also be added to the base pecan pie. This is an open pie with no top layer of pastry.

In this particular case, the added ingredient is, naturally enough, chocolate. To serve, the dish is often accompanied by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

National Pecan Pie Day

National Pecan Pie Day is on July 12th in the United States.

This is a type of sweet dessert pie whose primary ingredients - for the filling, at least - are corn syrup and pecans. Other types of sugar syrup may also be used, and it is traditionally served with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

The earliest definite references to pecan pie date back to the late 19th century, making this quite a modern type of pie, and it is strongly associated with the United States, especially the Southern U.S. It is also a dish which is strongly associated with both Christmas and Thanksgiving in America.

The association with the U.S. is not surprising, as the pecan nut comes from the pecan tree, which is a type of hickory native to the Americas. Pecans also would appear to be a genuine, botanical, nut, not just a culinary one.