With a crumbly crunch cutting its creamy texture and a pop of tart balancing its sweetness, a single bite of Key lime pie could have your taste buds dancing the rumba. As easy as it is delicious—a simple blend of sweetened condensed milk, Key lime juice, and egg yolks—the treat is an American classic, a Southern favorite, the official state pie of Florida, and the official dessert of Key West. There’s no shortage of love for the confection that relies on its namesake citrus for its signature zip, but competing narratives of its background bring a bit of sourness to the table, too.
For decades, it was widely accepted that the pie was first made in Key West, the southernmost island in the Florida Keys, where Key limes—distinct from larger, thicker-skinned Persian limes—thrive. Keys lore says it was a lady known only as Aunt Sally, a cook at the Key West estate of Florida’s and cofounder of Key West’s annual Key Lime Festival, agrees with the Aunt Sally story but says he’s discovered more details.
