chess pie

chess pie, a very sweet egg-rich pie, popular in Tennessee and other parts of the southern United States, made with a simple recipe of sugar, eggs, cornmeal, and butter with vanilla. Some recipe variations add brown sugar, chocolate, lemon juice, or nuts as well.

Chess pie is similar to cheesecake without a cheese filling. This has prompted some speculation about the origin of the term chess pie, wherein “chess” is an Americanized pronunciation of the word cheese. Alternatively, the term may have originated from pie chest, a refrigerated cabinet used to store pies, or from just pie with the pronunciation “jes pie” sounding similar to “chess pie.” The origin of the term chess pie, however, remains unknown.