Should Strawberry Shortcake Be Florida’s State Dessert?

A bill to make strawberry shortcake the official state dessert of Florida is on its way to the governor’s desk. However, Florida already has a state dessert — key lime pie. Both desserts have a long history with the sunshine state, but which one is the best representation of the state of Florida?

Strawberry shortcake

Strawberries have a long history in the United States, especially in Florida. They were originally called strewberries, because the actual berries were found strew among the leaves of the plants. Eventually they were renamed strawberries and Americans began cultivating them around 1835.

After the Civil War, industrialist Henry Plant started building railroads and hotels in Tampa. He noted that a community just east of the city could grow strawberries in the dead of winter. He built a railroad that delivered strawberries from this area to his hotel back in Tampa as a sweet treat for guests. Soon, Florida strawberries were being shipped all across the country. The community was renamed Plant City in honor of Henry Plant. Now, over 10,000 acres of strawberries are planted annually in this area.

The earliest recipe for strawberry shortcake dates back to 1500s England. In England, shortcake was closer in texture and flavor to a shortbread cookie. In the U.S., a popular recipe for strawberry cake pops up in 1847. This recipe calls for a more cake-like base, closer to the sponge cake we use today for the dessert. Strawberry shortcake quickly became the representative dessert of the Florida Strawberry Festival.

Key Lime Pie

The key lime tree is native to Malaysia and probably came to Florida in the 1500s along with Spanish conquistadors. Key limes are smaller and tarter than regular limes. A hurricane in 1926 wiped out most of the key lime trees so they were replaced with the hardier Persian limes, which are also easier to pick. Today, most key lime trees are mostly found in locals’ backyards.

The history of the key lime pie is a little more mysterious and contentious. The local keys legacy is that the pie was made by a cook known only as Aunt Sally. She worked for William Curry, a ship salvager and Florida’s first self-made millionaire. Aunt Sally created the pie for her boss in the late 1800s. Or a variation declares that she learned the recipe from the local sponge fisherman.

The other variation has the pie being created in New York. Author Stella Parks declares that the tangy treat was a creation of the Borden milk company. The recipe was a ploy to sell more sweetened condensed milk, a key ingredient in key lime pie. Either way, the key lime pie became the official pie and dessert of the state in 2006.