A chess pie (or tart) is a single-crust pie with a filling made from eggs, sugar, and cream or buttermilk. It belongs to a long English tradition of sweet, egg-rich, custard pies. As to the origin of the name “chess pie,” explanations abound. According to the culinary historian Karen Hess, the most plausible is that “chess,” an archaic spelling of the word “cheese,” derived from so-called cheesecakes, which were common in England from the seventeenth century. Many early cheesecakes did not contain cheese, and this was the tradition that was infused into “chess pie.” The earliest located reference to a recipe with the name “chess pie” dates to 1866. During the late nineteenth century, chess pies became common, particularly in the South. There is a great diversity among chess pie recipes, which can include such flavorings as chocolate, lemon, vanilla, and vinegar.
