Before There Was Wedding Cake, There Was Bride's Pie

Wedding cakes are an iconic symbol. They come in all shapes and sizes (not to mention flavors) and let brides and grooms express themselves with a sweet treat to celebrate their union. But the wedding cakes we know and love haven't always been the norm. In fact, they have evolved since ancient Roman times, when weddings were once celebrated with a cake made of wheat or barley that was broken over the bride's head for good fortune. Eventually, that bread morphed into something called bride's pie, and it was a much more savory take on the traditional wedding cake that is so popular today.

Bride's pie, which began appearing in cookbooks in the 17th century, was definitely not a sweet confection. Instead of chocolate or vanilla, bride's pie was typically filled with ingredients like lamb testicles, rooster comb, and oysters. Other concoctions would contain a whole chicken stuffed with eggs, served with fruits and nuts. Today, unconventional couples who want to think outside the box will often head to an unexpected source for a unique wedding cake, like Krispy Kreme for a wedding tower of donuts. But once upon a time, the happy day was commemorated with these rather unpleasant-sounding pies to bestow good wishes onto the bride and groom.

Bride's pie, much like modern wedding cakes, was the most important wedding feast dish when the first recipe was published in a 1685 edition of Robert May's "The Accomplisht Cook." It was common for a ring to be baked inside, like a baby figurine in a Mardis Gras King Cake. Much like the modern tradition of tossing a bouquet, whoever found the ring was believed to be the next to get married. Savory pies may have faded from wedding menus, but they still have a strong hold in the culinary world. 

While you're not likely to find lamb testicles and oysters — or rings — inside, you will find ingredients like eggs, cheeses, and meats baked in a flaky crust. And just like today's sweet dessert pies, savory pies come in many forms. Quiches are brunch staples, especially for special occasions like bridal showers or a Mother's Day bash. They are surprisingly easy to make; you can even pull off a perfect quiche in your slow cooker. Similar versions, like an old-school cheeseburger pie, has a biscuit crust rather than the typical flaky pastry crust found in pies. 

Savory pies also include dishes that are much more akin to the nearly forgotten bride's pie that once graced wedding tables, like chicken pot pie or pasty, a traditional English pie of meat, onions, and potatoes. They look very much like sweet hand pies, complete with flaky crust. These can be made into either one large pie or smaller hand pies, and while they may not call upon the unusual bride's pie ingredient list for inspiration, they do keep the savory pie tradition alive.