Readers’ Choice: Key Lime Pie Is the Best Regional Food

The perfect marriage of tangy and sweet, Key lime pie is the best regional specialty the U.S. has to offer.

With a little sweetness, a little tanginess and a creamy texture, Key lime pie offers heaven in a slice. The dessert is South Florida’s most famous regional specialty — sorry, gator bites! – and 60.9 percent of our readers voted it the best regional food in the entire United States.

We’re happy to see that our readers have such excellent taste. And even happier to highlight this dish, which is made with limes grown in the Florida Keys. You’ll now find it all over the state, though it is still best to try it in Key West — a charming town at the very tip of the Keys, where Hemingway spent years of his life.

Where to Stay in Key West

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Is it worth going to Key West just to try Key lime pie? Absolutely. But you’ll find much more in this wonderful town, known for its rum, old Florida architecture and raucous nightlife.

And after a day of being out in the water, feasting on oysters (and pie) and drinking rum cocktails, lay your head to rest at the historic Casa Marina. Part of Hilton’s Curio collection, the structure has been around since 1888 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For some of the best sunsets in town, stay at Ocean Key Resort & Spa. And for a chic but more affordable option, the Marker Key West Harbor Resort provides a boutique and relaxed atmosphere in the heart of town.

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Best Key Lime Pie Recipe

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We love Key lime pie more than almost any other dessert, but it can often be way too sweet, which defeats the purpose of using Key limes, which have a higher acidity than other types of lime.

The greatest thing about this dessert is that it’s incredibly easy to make. You only need three ingredients for the filling (lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and sour cream), and the pie is baked for a mere 10 minutes — truly the definition of “easy as pie.”

This very simple Key lime pie recipe is the best we’ve tried (though we use 1 cup of lime juice and only one can of condensed milk). Prepare for everyone to love you at potlucks.