From ‘gobbets’ to ‘coffins’, Steph Wetherell delves into the weird and wonderful history of the pie
Illustration by Sue Gent
bakemete (noun)
A Middle English word meaning, quite simply, a pie.
chewitts (noun)
A ‘one-bite’ pie common in the late medieval period.
coffin/coffyn (noun)
Original name for a pastry case, made into elaborate shapes and patterns.
forcemeat (noun)
Lean meat, such as veal, that was ground or chopped finely and mixed with fat then formed into balls and baked in a pie with sweetmeats or marrow.
gable (noun)
The raised and decorative edges to a pie, often visually representative of a local castle.
gobbet (noun)
A term referring to a piece of meat or flesh.
saucer pie (noun)
A thin pie made from leftovers, baked in a saucer.
umble pie (noun)
Filled with the minced or chopped innards of an animal (usually a deer), and the origin of the term ‘to eat humble pie’.
Words: Steph Wetherell; thelocavore.co.uk