Mince pies, a beloved Christmas treat today, have a rich and evolving history. While we recognize them as festive pastries filled with citrusy dried fruits, brandy, and spices, their origins were quite different. Over the centuries, these pies transitioned from savoury to sweet, reflecting changing tastes and social customs.
Medieval Origins
Mince pies trace their roots to medieval England, though they would look quite different to us now. Back then, pie crusts, called “coffins,” served as vessels for cooking delicate foods or containing pre-cooked meat. The pastry was simple—flour and water—and often discarded after eating, though the poor might have eaten the leftovers.
Pies were generally large, meant to serve multiple people, but smaller versions known as “chewets” (likely named for their pinched, cabbage-like tops) were also made.
A Mix of Sweet and Savoury
Medieval recipes often combined sweet and savoury elements, as desserts as we know them today didn’t exist. Using sweet ingredients in savoury pies was common, with honey or dried fruits replacing sugar, which was rare and expensive. Spices like saffron and ginger were luxurious, signalling wealth. Dried fruits like figs and dates, imported from abroad, were especially prized.
One famous recipe from the 14th-century Forme of Cury for “Tart of Flesh” featured figs, raisins, wine, pine kernels, lard, cheese, minced pork, honey, and spices. A similar recipe using mutton instead of pork appears in Gervase Markham’s The English Huswife (1615), offering a glimpse of the early forms of modern mince pies.
Religious Symbolism
Due to the high cost of ingredients, spiced pies were reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Easter. These pies were often baked in rectangular shapes, leading people to associate them with the manger where Jesus was laid. Dough figures of the baby Jesus were placed atop the pies to reinforce the religious connection.
While some Puritans in the 17th century disapproved of such religious depictions, it wasn’t until the end of the century that mince pies became round, and the baby Jesus figure was omitted.
The Shift to Meat-Free
The transition from savoury to sweet was gradual. Early recipes, like those in Eliza Acton’s Modern Cookery for Private Families (1845), included meat like ox tongue. By the 20th century, the only trace of meat was suet, which could now be replaced with vegetarian alternatives.
Traditional Mince Pie Recipe (1591)
Filling Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lb (700g) lean mutton or beef
- 4 oz (100g) suet
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground mace
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- A pinch of saffron
- 2 oz (50g) raisins
- 2 oz (50g) currants
- 2 oz (50g) stoned prunes, chopped
Pastry Ingredients:
- 1 lb (450g) plain flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 oz (100g) lard
- 1/4 pt (150ml) water
- 4 tbsp (60ml) milk
Glaze:
- 1 tbsp (15ml) butter
- 1 tbsp (15ml) sugar
- 1 tbsp (15ml) rosewater
Method:
- Mince the meat and combine with suet, spices, pepper, saffron, and dried fruit.
- For the pastry, sift flour and salt, then create a well in the centre. Boil the lard, water, and milk, pour into the well, and mix to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth.
- Set aside a quarter of the dough for the lid and press the rest into an 8-inch (20 cm), 2-inch (5 cm) deep pie tin.
- Fill the pie with the meat mixture, dampen the edges, and place the lid. Seal and decorate with excess pastry. Cut a hole in the centre of the lid.
- Bake at gas mark 7 (220°C/425°F) for 15 minutes, reduce to gas mark 4 (180°C/350°F) and bake for an additional 1 1/4 hours. Brush with glaze and bake for 15 more minutes. Serve cold.
This recipe was first printed in A Book of Cookrye (1591) and reprinted in Food and Cooking in 16th Century Britain by Peter Brears (1985).
