Do any cruise-lines serve actual Southern pecan pie?

[RockHoundTX]

I am probably the farthest thing from a foodie but there are two things I am especially picky about: BBQ and pecan pie (yeah, born and bred Texan). I have been on 15 or so cruises across a couple of different cruise-lines over the last 22 years but this past month was the first to see "pecan pie" on the menu (first on RCL and then on Carnival).

 

I was really excited when I saw it on the RCL AoS menu since I LOVE a good pecan pie. When it came out, my first thought was "this doesn't look right" but figured RCL knew what they were doing. Took a bite and had a "***** is this?" moment. Wife and kids looked at me strange. My 12yo summed it up pretty well: "This is disgusting. Wait a waste of good pecans". Not sure how to even describe it. Instead of the normal golden gooey goodness, the filling was a firm, greyish brown something or other. There was no sweetness and the pecans were definitely not pre-cooked. Considering how good the rest of the food had been on this trip (well above average) I was really disappointed. Closest thing I could describe it as was the meat-pies in the UK. I can't even imagine how many pecan pies (or deserts claiming to be pecan pie) I have eaten in my life and this was by-far the worst (even the mini $1 pies at Walmart are 100x better).  

 

The following week I was on a Christmas cruise on Carnival. I again saw pecan pie on the menu but this time was a little more apprehensive. The MDR food on Carnival had been consistently bad on this trip (even by my low standards) but deserts had been OK so gave it a shot. As the saying goes, "fool me once....". Yep. Pretty much the same thing as RCL but maybe just a little sweeter. Still inedible and a waste of perfectly good pecans 😞 . Still the same greyish brown "filling".

 

So that begs the question: do any of the major cruise-lines serve actual pecan pie? If no, why not? Is actual pecan pie just too sticky and makes washing the dishes an issue? Something about the ingredients that make it too expensive to make (corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter are dwarfed by the cost of pecans so can't imagine that being it)?  Also, what is the greyish brown filling being used on these so I can avoid any recipe that uses the same (just bland and nasty).

 

Thanks.       

[shipgeeks]

I've had a few cruise line "pecan pies", and they were not bad (nothing like what you describe), they just were not what I would call pecan pie.  They were more like a cookie-type crust topped with ground pecans, and a bit of something sweet holding it together.

I greatly enjoyed our recent grocery store pecan pies, as well as the one our DiL made for us a few years ago.  Yum!

I suspect the problem is that the chefs, not being from Texas (or PA), did not grow up knowing what they should be like, and did their best to interpret a recipe but just did not make it work.

 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

How can they screw up such a simple recipe??  They probably never heard of Karo syrup.  The recipe is on the label of the Karo bottle…for crying out loud!!  
 

Another thing I can’t stand is the destruction of a good basic pecan pie…like a chocolate pecan pie…ughhh.

[shipgeeks]

CGT,   What do you think of a Bourbon pecan pie?

(We did not like it as much as the regular one.)

[CGTNORMANDIE]

7 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

CGT,   What do you think of a Bourbon pecan pie?

(We did not like it as much as the regular one.)

Bourbon pecan pie…yes…but I still lean toward the standard…reminds me of my mother and grandmother.🙂

[rkacruiser]

On 1/5/2022 at 6:55 PM, shipgeeks said:

I suspect the problem is that the chefs, not being from Texas (or PA), did not grow up knowing what they should be like, and did their best to interpret a recipe but just did not make it work.

 

I suspect you are correct.  Don't know about the nationality of the chefs employed by Royal Caribbean, but many of the chefs employed by Carnival are from India or another Asian country.  Their experience with "Southern cuisine" would be nil.  

[CntPAcruiser]

What is called "pie" on board Royal Caribbean is nothing like a good US pie. They tend to be a European-type interpretation of apple, pecan, pumpkin, etc. One of the worst pumpkin pies I've ever tasted was at a Thanksgiving dinner on Royal. They made individual ones and good god, they were awful! I'm afraid I wouldn't expect to get good pie outside the US that corresponds to what you are used to.

 

The one exception might be key lime pie, which Royal makes a passable version of.

[RockHoundTX]

Pretty much agree with all the comments. I think it should be mandatory that that head chef actually taste local food from the port they are sailing from. 60% of their customers probably come from within 200 miles so will at least set some expectations (and the chef can be on a ship for several years so not like they are doing this continually). Even though most menus are probably set by corporate, at least then they understand the local "vocabulary". Unfortunately, we have this problem even in the US. Many years ago I went to a "BBQ" up in Chicago with a few work-friends. I just sat there as hot-dogs and hamburgers were brought out. After a while, a friend asked "aren't you going to eat?' to which I replied "yeah, as soon as the BBQ comes out. How much longer until the ribs and brisket are ready?". I was HORRIFIED when he said that hot-dogs and hamburgers were consider a BBQ in Chicago. It truly did not compute to my Texas brain.  

 

Several years ago I was joking with the chef in charge of the buffet on Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston giving him a hard time on how bad his donuts were. He looked at me and said "what do you mean? Our donuts are good.". I was back 2 weeks later and brought him some Krispy Kreme donuts. His comment was something along the lines of "oh, I know what you mean now.". Hmmm. Maybe I should try to do this with a Goode Company pie my next trip 😉

 

I also agree that they Key Lime pie is pretty decent. My guess is this is due Corporate being in Florida so at least they know what good Key Lime pie tastes like. Probably not so much with Pecan Pie.

[rkacruiser]

There are other desserts that something seems "to get lost in the translation".  Currently, on the HAL Message Board, WCB has remarked, twice, about the unusual "Cheesecake" that they have been served in the Nieuw Statendam's Tamarind Restaurant.  

 

My oddest dessert experience was in the Yacht Club Restaurant on MSC Meraviglia.  I ordered a Pineapple Coconut Tapioca Pudding.  Love all three ingredients!  What was served reminded me of Poi and tasted like it,  In my journal, I wrote, "this dessert was terrible!"  

[shipgeeks]

Good word: translation.  I'm sure that no matter how carefully I followed a recipe for a curry, or pad thai, or other common dish from another country, I wouldn't pass the test.

However, I have to remind myself that even my sisters-in-law, and probably the neighbors on my own street, all prepare certain classic dishes, such as turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce, in ways that make me say "huh??"  And I rarely meet anyone who agrees on what an ideal donut is like.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

I have to remind myself that even my sisters-in-law, and probably the neighbors on my own street, all prepare certain classic dishes, such as turkey stuffing and cranberry sauce, in ways that make me say "huh??"  And I rarely meet anyone who agrees on what an ideal donut is like.

 

It is interesting to learn how different people prepare foods in their own unique way.  One of my Grandmothers never had a toaster.  She would toast bread in her oven.  When I asked why she did that, the answer was something like "that's the way I like to do it".  

 

Re donut:  Agree.  A current local donut "fad'" seems to be a Bacon flavored donut.  Sounds repulsive to me!  

[shipgeeks]

Just back from a cruise, and in the interests of research, tried some pecan pie, from the buffet.  It was pre-cut, so I could see what was below the pecans on the top.

The "custard" part was very dense.  It gave me the impression it was made up of finely ground pecans, as well as the usual syrup and other ingredients.

It was a very pleasant piece of pie, but not as special as my grocery store one last Thanksgiving.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

Just back from a cruise, and in the interests of research, tried some pecan pie, from the buffet.  It was pre-cut, so I could see what was below the pecans on the top.

The "custard" part was very dense.  It gave me the impression it was made up of finely ground pecans, as well as the usual syrup and other ingredients.

It was a very pleasant piece of pie, but not as special as my grocery store one last Thanksgiving.

 

Thank you for your research!  (What sacrifices at times one must make to further the knowledge base for all of us!  😁)  On what ship did you sail?  What itinerary?  

[shipgeeks]

We sailed on RC Enchantment of the Seas, out of Baltimore, to the Caribbean.  We've done RC Baltimore cruises many times; this one was the best.  Only 1,000 passengers, 700 crew.  Outstanding food and service.

[shipgeeks]

RK, Thank you for your appreciation of the effort involved in such research.  After having the chocolate brownie from the children's menu, I suspected it was the best dessert I've ever had.  I had to order it several more times in my quest to validate my conclusions.  I'm tending towards that being the case, but have decided continue my research on the subject in June and on other future cruises.

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, shipgeeks said:

After having the chocolate brownie from the children's menu,

 

Sometimes, the children's menu offers the better food.  Amtrak's Mac and Cheese is often a better selection than some of the other stuff that is on their regular menu.  

[stoneharborlady]

On 1/6/2022 at 2:44 PM, CGTNORMANDIE said:

How can they screw up such a simple recipe??  They probably never heard of Karo syrup.  The recipe is on the label of the Karo bottle…for crying out loud!!  
 

Another thing I can’t stand is the destruction of a good basic pecan pie…like a chocolate pecan pie…ughhh.

I have never had chocolate pecan pie, but must admit I would love to try one.  I like the pecans on top of the pie to be ground up. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

3 hours ago, stoneharborlady said:

I have never had chocolate pecan pie, but must admit I would love to try one.  I like the pecans on top of the pie to be ground up. 

Chaque persone a son gout!  😉