Why Apple Pie And Cheddar Cheese Is Such An Iconic Pairing

There's a saying in some parts of the globe that goes a little something like this: "An apple pie without the cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze." This statement gives you some idea of what the apple-pie-and-cheddar-cheese-lovin' folks of the world are all about: sweet apple pie and sharp and savory cheese. The pairing works because cheddar cheese introduces just the right amount of savory to complement apple pie's sweet — kind of like when the salt on top of pretzels meets chocolate dip.

Proponents of this pairing reside mostly in Jolly Ol' England and its sister regions across the pond: New England, the Midwest, and some places in Canada. The practice of serving apple pie with cheese actually originated in Great Britain during the 17th century. 

While hot apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream may now be the world's most stereotypical American dessert, the addition of sweet dairy and apple pie, as opposed to savory dairy, is really a relatively recent phenomenon. Until Red Delicious apples began sprouting on trees in the late 19th century, apples weren't all that sweet. So, it's reasonable to think that bakers needed a way to highlight what little sweet flavor was there. Thus, apple pie served with a savory dairy — Wensleydale cheese originally and then cheddar later — made more sense back then than it does now.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, English cooks often dressed their pies with sauces. It was also the English who began serving up Wensleydale cheese with apple pie. Eventually, this regional cheese variety was replaced with cheddar, which became more a prominent swap once folks started migrating to the New England region. 

The cheesy switch came about due to cheddar cheese being more readily available in the States than Wensleydale was. As far as why this dish is a favorite in the North and Midwest and not so much in the South, well, that has a lot to do with where an abundance of dairy can be found. In other words, a lot of cows live in the regions where this combo is popular, so the supply of good cheddar cheese is pretty plentiful.

Finally, detractors of the dish may still be shaking their heads at how odd the pairing is, but in the places where it's served, it's perfectly normal and right to serve apple pie with cheddar cheese. Take, for example, Vermont, which passed a law in 1999 about the whole thing. The law instructs the purveyors of apple pie in the Green Mountain State to make a "good faith effort" to offer a serving of apple pie with one or more dairy options, including "a slice of cheddar cheese weighing a minimum of ½ ounce."