5 delicious pies from around the world you've probably never heard of

There’s nothing more British than a good pie. Pies have been a staple part of British food culture for centuries, with dinner tables across the nation being graced with many different types of pastry encased fillings.

Whilst there’s no doubt that Britain is the true home of pie (we might even argue Yorkshire, albeit with a healthy dose of bias!), many variations of pies exist in countries across the world. It turns out the delicious combination of pastry and filling is one that exists well beyond our shores! And there are some fascinating pie related delicacies that we have found. Here are 5 of the ones we think are the best.

1. Karelian pastry. A Finnish pastry made with rye flour that is oval shaped and baked open with a filling of rice, potatoes or barley porridge. The pastry is brushed with melted butter before baking and is enjoyed as a hearty breakfast or lunch snack.

2. Kreatopita (Greek meat pie). A speciality of Kefalonia, this pie uses a delicious combination of phyllo pastry, at least 2 types of diced meat such as pork, beef or lamb, onions, garlic and cooked rice. Herbs such as oregano and marjoram are used to provide extra flavour. Often served as a street food snack, this dish can be found across the Kefalonia region in its many villages. If you can get hold of some good phyllo pastry, this one is definitely worth trying and is fairly simple to make at home.

3. Empanada Gallega. A Galician pie that uses a leavened pastry for a light crust that is shaped into either a round or square shaped pie and often decorated with dough offcuts making an impressive looking meal indeed. The filling is usually tuna enriched with red peppers, eggs, onions and garlic. Other types of seafood are sometimes used along with choriso and other seasonal vegetables.

4. Tourte Lorraine. A Tourte is a French pie, differing from a tart in that the filling is encased entirely in pastry, either shortcrust or puff. Tourte Lorraine uses a mouth-watering combination of veal rump and pork loin, which is marinated in white wine, shallots and a variety of herbs including Parsley, Thyme, Oregano, Rosemary, Chervil, Tarragon, Sage, Bay leaves and Fennel. The meat is drained before being baked in the pie. However, our French friends have a trick up their sleeve. By means of a funnel place into the pie lid, an egg and cream custard is poured into the pie before being baked until the filling is set and the meat juicy and tender. We have to say out of all the pies listed here, this is the one we would be most tempted to try making ourselves!

5. Spaghetti pie. A list of pies wouldn’t be complete unless our American cousins were involved. And no other country on earth could have invented Spaghetti pie. Often called the most iconic pie of Colorado, this glorious sounding dish is effectively what we know as Spaghetti Bolognese baked as a pie using a beef Ragu and cooked spaghetti before being topped with Mozzarella and Cheddar cheese. Probably not one that is kind on the waistline, but then not many pies are eaten as diet foods. But boy do they taste good! And this one looks delicious.

Perhaps reading this list has inspired you to try making some of the international pies. But if it's top quality Yorkshire pies that tickle your taste buds, then look no further than our range of award winning pies, delivered to your door.

Order yours here. https://www.yorkshirehandmadepies.co.uk/