Apple is the upper crust of pies

In honor of National Pie Day on Jan. 23, here are some pie facts you might want to know:

-- One out of four Americans prefers apple pie, followed by pumpkin or sweet potato (17 percent), anything chocolate (14 percent), lemon meringue (11 percent) and cherry (10 percent).

-- Three out of four Americans prefer homemade pie.

-- If you lined up the number of pies sold at U.S. grocery stores in one year, they would more than circle the globe.

-- The wet bottom molasses pie, called shoo-fly pie, was used to attract flies from the kitchen.

-- The wealthy English were known for their "Surprise Pies" from which live creatures would pop out when the pie was cut open.

-- Pumpkin pie was first introduced to the holiday table at the Pilgrims' second Thanksgiving, in 1623.

-- Pie was not always America's favorite dessert -- in the 19th century, fruit pies were a common breakfast food eaten before the start of a long day.

(Source: The American Pie Council.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)