INDIANAPOLIS - A resolution to appoint the sugar cream pie as Indiana's official state pie was passed by the Indiana Senate Thursday afternoon.
Members of Ball State University's Indiana Foodways Alliance Business Fellows project researched and wrote the resolution, which was proposed by Sen. Allen Paul, R-Richmond, Ind.
The Indiana Foodways Alliance is a non-profit organization that serves to preserve and promote traditional food culture in Indiana. Business Fellows students worked with the IFA to help it with its mission.
Senior journalism major Richard Hughes said the resolution's success was the culmination of three semesters' worth of IFA Business Fellows groups, which involved 30 students from 15 different majors. The students then passed their work on to Paul, who put the finishing touches on the resolution, Hughes said.
"I thought it was very nice to see our Indiana senators going out of their way to try to help out Indiana culinary tourism and honor something that is true to Indiana food culture," Hughes said.
Indiana senators also voted to make Winchester, Ind., the sugar cream pie capital of the state. Winchester is the home of Wick's Pies, which is famous for its "old fashioned sugar cream" pies, according to the company's Web site.
Mike Wickersham, president of Wick's Pies, brought more than 200 pies to the Indiana Statehouse for Indiana General Assembly members, staff and lobbyists to sample and take home.
Paul said Wick's Pies was established in 1943 and is one of the largest employers in Randolph County.
"We have lost a lot of employers in eastern Indiana," Paul said. "Originally, when they talked to me about the idea, I looked at it as a way to thank Wick's Pies for having 100 employees, and they have a restaurant there and are very active in the community."
According to Wick's Pies' Web site, sugar cream pie is made with milk, sugar, flour, shortening, vanilla and nutmeg.
IFA Executive Director Susan Haller said the sugar cream pie, or Hoosier cream pie, was invented by early 19th-century Quakers who settled in eastern Indiana.
Haller said recognizing Indiana's food history is necessary because it gives people a sense of community pride.
"Identifying and branding Indiana foods is something that is important not only to our economic development, but to our idea of who we are," she said.
Haller, a nutritionist, said those opposed to the state pie resolution often don't understand the full issue.
"This is about economic development for rural and small town Indiana, and that is very important," Haller said. "It isn't facetious, it's not silly and it's not a waste of time. It's really what our government should be doing for us."
Paul said passing the resolution took no longer than five minutes of time on the Senate floor.
Junior journalism major Stephanie Bane said she felt bad that Paul got negative feedback for proposing the resolution.
"It's just something fun, something different ... that can keep the spirits of Indiana high," Bane said.
Wickersham said making the sugar cream pie Indiana's state pie will help his company's business, but will ultimately help his community more.
"The [resolution] does recognize Winchester as the sugar cream capital of Indiana and will just add to the community's desire and interest in being a destination community," Wickersham said.
Pie facts
- Today is National Pie Day.
- According to the Senate resolution, sugar cream pie "is a pie shell spread with layers of creamed butter and maple or brown sugar combined with a sprinkling of flour, filled with vanilla-flavored cream and baked."
- If the resolution also passes in the House, the sugar cream pie will be adopted as the official state pie and renamed the "Hoosier Pie."
- Indiana would join Vermont and Florida as the only states with official state pies. Vermont's state pie is the apple pie and Florida's is the key-lime pie.
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