why are mince pies called 'mince' pies ?

Question

when 'mince' commonly refers to chopped up meat and not the currants and raisins found in mince pies.

Answer 1

'cos they're made with minced fruit


mince: cut into small pieces

Answer 2

Mince Pies History

Answer 3

I will check, but I think they originally had meat in them.

This from Wikipedia:-
History
The origins of the mince pie begins with the medieval pastry, chewette which was either fried or baked. The "chewette" actually contained liver or chopped meat mixed with boiled eggs and ginger. Dried fruit and sweet ingredients would be added to the chewette's filling for variety. By the 16th century 'mince' or shred pie was considered a Christmas specialty, but in the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell made the eating of mince pies on Christmas Day illegal. (This law was voted fourth "most ridiculous British law" in a 2007 poll.)[1] In the mid-17th century the liver and chopped meat was replaced by suet, and meat products were no longer generally used in the 'mince' by the 19th century in both North America and Great Britain. Though traditional suet pies are still made, they are no longer the dominant form. [2]

Answer 4

A bit of pie history:

Pies originally contained whatever comestibles were in the home. Meat was usually in short supply, so it was merely a condiment, and other ingredients were the main event, such as fruits and nuts and vegetables. By the 14th century, pies resembling pies that we eat today were being written about. They were typically, by modern standards, overspiced concoctions of apples, pears, dried fruits (prunes and figs), chopped suet and leftover meat, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, etc. When you think about it, this sounds a lot like a mincemeat pie. So to answer your question, "mince" pies did originally have meat or animal fat in them.

Nowadays this sounds rather unpleasant to many people, so the meat was done away with in the past 50 years, and "mincemeat" became "mince," an elision that erases a portion of the history of this pie.

Here's a link to a recipe from 1381: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/foc/FoC160small.html

Answer 5

In the middle ages when people went to the crusades they picked up a taste for middle eastern cookery where they mix minced lamb with fruits such as raisins,dates apricots etc. On return they mixed this with traditional pies, over the years people stopped putting the meat/mince in and a savoury dish became a sweet one.

Answer 6

Ok so this is a bit of a guess but maybe they started off as savoury appetisers with meat in & then, when the traditional Christmas cake, which also contains currants & raisins, became popular, they decided to change it to sweet.. maybe currants ect were very expensive or hadn't been imported over from wherever they are made? I'm not too sure.. um but good question!

Answer 7

These pies were originally made with mince meat in Victorian times.

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
why are mince pies called 'mince' pies ?
when 'mince' commonly refers to chopped up meat and not the currants and raisins found in mince pies.

Answer 9

Years ago mincemeat had meat in it. Now it only has beef suet, because it keeps better. But fresh mincemeat would have some minced beef in too with all the fruit

Answer 10

The original; ones were made from minced meat. Spices added as preservatives. they've slowly transmuted to keep the spices etc., but not the meat.

Answer 11

They used to be made with minced meat, but now have suet instead