Although both sweet potato and pumpkin pie look the same, with the similar orange color and their crunchy crust, they are very different. Pumpkin pie is usually denser, has a creamy texture, and relies on lots of cinnamon and nutmeg for its sweetness. Sweet potato pie is usually lighter feeling and has a silky texture with a richer and sweeter taste; the flavor is typically more complex because of the earthy sweet potato taste rather than the direct spice of pumpkin pie.
Some people have a certain opinion about both pies based on how they were raised and the culture they have, like algebra teacher Mr. Hargrove. “I grew up on sweet potato pie. My mother has an amazing recipe that me and my family love,” he said. Mr. Hargrove expressed that he only likes sweet potato pie and doesn’t like the texture and taste of pumpkin pie.
Personal finance teacher, Mr. Gray, said, “I grew up on sweet potato pie, but over time I have grown to love pumpkin pie.” Mr. Gray had tried pumpkin pie for the first time when he married his wife and tasted her homemade pie. His desire for unsweet things has grown as he got older, so he won’t eat sweet potato pie anymore and enjoys the cinnamon spices of pumpkin pie. However, he doesn’t care about texture or looks.
So which is better? That’s up to the person trying and their preferences; some people have never had sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie, and some people might prefer the sweeter pie over the cinnamon-spice tasting pie, or the other way around.
“I love pumpkin pie! I don’t like sweet things like sweet potato pie,” ninth grader Keria Mullon said. Her favorite way to eat pumpkin pie is with a little bit of cool whip on top. Although Mullon has never had sweet potato pie before, so maybe that can change if she ever tries it.
Ninth grader Tai’lynn Sutton said, “I like sweet potato pie, I like how sweet it is compared to the blandness of pumpkin pie.” Sutton said she doesn’t really mind the texture of either pie and really just cares about taste.
English teacher Ms. Wenzel says, “I like pumpkin pie but I don’t enjoy it when pumpkin pie is bland, and I’ve never had sweet potato pie before.” Ms. Wenzel also expressed how she likes the crunchy crust that pumpkin pie usually has.
