What is Arizona's signature pie? Here's where to get a slice for Pi Day
While the 1970s GM slogan asks what could be more American than baseball and apple pie, we ask what could be more Arizonan than spring training and ... cactus pie?
A recent survey by Mixbook, in honor of Pi Day this Thursday on March 14, found that travelers in Arizona are willing to go the distance for a storied slice of "cactus pie." It's unclear how or when the survey was conducted but Mixbook states 3,000 "pie aficionados" were surveyed.
However, representatives with Valley-area pie shops such as Honeymoon Sweets in Tempe, Mama Toledo's in Phoenix, as well as Rock Spring's Cafe in Black Canyon City all had never heard of the so-called "cactus pie."
The article contained seemingly AI-generated images of pie with their respective states. For Arizona, the unusual image depicted a slice of pie in which pieces of green cactus, still with the spines, were encased in a green custard like substance and a fully intact succulent garnish. The article purports that pie aficionados would be willing to travel, on average, 2 hours and 16 minutes to try this mysterious pie.
Massachusetts ranked number one with pie aficionados willing to travel 2 hours and 32 minutes to try a Boston cream pie; North Dakota ranked second with bumbleberry pie and a 2 hours and 30 minute-travel time. Arizona ranked 9th on the list.
In The Arizona Republic's quest to track down cactus pie, the closest offering was the prickly pear meringue pie from Margie's Kitchen in Tucson. The eatery uses a recipe that has been passed down by two generations of southern Arizona restaurateurs and was named in Food Network's '50 States of Pie' list.
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What does the prickly pear meringue pie consist of?
The prickly pear pie is made by Garrett Rohwer, owner of Margie's Kitchen. He is also tasked with picking the bright magenta colored prickly pear cactus fruit whenever the season allows him to make the harvest.
Rohwer had worked for his family diner since he was a boy, starting off as a dishwasher before taking the business over from his dad, who he learned the original recipe from.
"The taste is pretty unique" said Rohwer, who could best describe the classic taste of the prickly pear-based filling as a little tart, noting that some customers say it has a melon-like flavor.
Margie's Kitchen, named after the owner's mother who passed away in 2007, sold slices of pie each day, with the Prickly Pear Meringue now the flavor they are famous for.
In 2016, then called Bread and Butter Cafe, Rohwer and his family were honored as Arizona's selection for the Food Network's 50 States of Pie, which said the Prickly Pear Meringue Pie tasted "somewhere between bubblegum and watermelon."
The pies vivid magenta color of the unique pie filling came from the fruit sourced off the Opuntia plant, been known as the prickly pear cactus, which grows natively only in the Americas.
The filling contrasts the soft, white meringue atop the pie, encrusted in the baked sheen and ready to be enjoyed by patrons at Margie's Kitchen.
How can you get a prickly pear meringue pie?
Owner Garrett Rohwer said in typical diner fashion, the pie was commonly ordered by the slice, but a whole one can be ordered in advance by calling Margie's Kitchen at 520-232-3202. The restaurant is located at 9431 E 22nd Street, Tucson.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Cactus pie named Arizona's signature pie. Is it real?
