The History of Key Lime Pie

According to legend, an early version of Key lime pie was developed by fishermen and sponge collectors, many of whom were Cuban, who were working in the region in the late 1800s. The dessert then became much more widely popular when a woman known as Aunt Sally started making it and serving it at the Curry Mansion, the estate of Florida's first self-made millionaire, William Curry. Aunt Sally’s identity is largely a mystery, although there are some claims that she may have either worked for or been a part of Curry’s family. There is also some debate over whether Key lime pie was even invented in Florida at all. Recipes for a similar dessert made with lemons instead of Key limes were released by New York's Borden condensed milk company in the early 1930s. Some historians think that the Key lime version could simply be a spin on the Borden dessert, while others think that Borden may have received a recipe for Key lime pie during a recipe contest and adapted it to use lemons instead, since they were more widely available. While we may never know exactly how Key lime pie came to be, we do know that it is a classic treat in Florida and remains popular in many other parts of the country as well, especially during the summer.