Aussie meat pies are confusing the hell out of Americans
It's our national food, but it seems Americans don't quite know what to make of the humble Aussie meat pie.
While the Yatala Pie Shop - Queensland's 130-year-old famous eatery - received a rave write-up in the New York Times recently, even the reviewer didn't quite know what to make of some of our Aussie fare.
Talking about a plate of hot chips and gravy - a regular dish for many Aussies! - she wrote: 'As my American-raised son put it: “This might be the wrongest thing I’ve ever eaten. I love it.”'
And last year, the great Aussie meat pie gave the American hot dog a run for its money at basketball games in Philadelphia. The only problem? They couldn't work out how to eat it.
It all started when the Philadelphia 76ers announced a deal to sell good ol’ Four’N Twenty pies at their home stadium to celebrate one of their star players, Melbourne-born Ben Simmons.
We're pumped to announce @FOURNTWENTY partnership with the @sixers Our traditional beef pies available courtside now.#4N20sixers pic.twitter.com/Vlp26iDbdk
— FOUR'N TWENTY (@FOURNTWENTY) November 20, 2017
Now, Americans love a good pie, but they’re generally talking sweet and fruity, like the classic pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, cherry pie (who could forget this gem of a tune from Warrant?), tangy key lime pie, and deep-dish apple pie as big as your head.
So, when confronted with our savoury meat and gravy version, they haven’t quite known how to tackle it. Instead of tucking in with two hands and a healthy squirt of tomato sauce, American sports commentator Darren Rovell has been roasted for this video, which shows him cutting the pie into quarters with a knife and fork.
The @sixers, inspired by Australian star Ben Simmons, are now selling Meat Pies at their games. I put them to the taste test this morning. pic.twitter.com/vgtSDaeLcv
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 20, 2017
It didn’t go unnoticed on Twitter, with Australians quickly jumping in to correct this pie-eating faux pas, including the Queensland police:
Steady on, you could get cautioned for treating a meat pie like that ???? #FreshPrince https://t.co/o0SgyKxqat
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) November 20, 2017
After being harangued on Twitter, Fox Sports and all 22 million Aussies, it would seem, Rovell issued this apology:
I have been destroyed all day for how I apparently tested out the Australian meat pie being offered at 76ers games. Now that the police are involved, I would like to extend my sincere apologies. https://t.co/HNa24A5YGc
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 20, 2017
Here’s hoping they stock up on squeezy sauce packets for the upcoming games.
