Vermont has a very specific law about how you should eat apple pie

The state orders that the dessert be served with dairy.

When you think of Vermont, this might be the first food that comes to mind maple syrup – but there’s another sweet treat this state takes very seriously: apple pie. In fact, Vermont cares so much about apple pie that there is a law that sets out some very specific guidelines for serving it.

I learned about the Apple Pie Law on a recent trip to my friend’s small hometown of Manchester. If you’re looking for a cute, quintessential Vermont town, this place is just what you’re looking for, complete with leaf peeps and a plant nursery that sells very well. apple cider donuts.

When someone asked at a family dinner if I was familiar with pastry laws, the answer was clearly “no,” but I was intrigued. That evening I learned that Vermont law requires apple pie to be served with milk, cheddar cheese, or vanilla ice cream.

Is this just an urban legend? Is the law realistic? And if so, why was this adopted? I set out to find answers to these burning questions and delved deep into the atmosphere of Vermont’s legal system and dairy industry.

The website for the Vermont General Assembly documents Act 1 USA § 512 section one, which declares that the state’s pie is apple pie, while a old web page from the Vermont Legislature contains what appears to be the full text of section two: “In serving apple pie in Vermont, a ‘good faith’ effort shall be made to meet one or more of the following conditions: (a) with a cold glass of milk, (b) with a slice of at least 1/2 ounce of cheddar cheese, (c) with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets Anson Tebbetts confirmed that this is a real law and clarified that it is a sessional law – a real law that is only published in a book at the end of a legislative session, rather than being written into law. (As one Redditor helpfully explains: Another good example is the state budget, which is a session law “because it contains spending decisions that apply only to that fiscal year and do not need to be reflected in the statutes.”)

In this case, the apple pie law is probably a session law, because it is not intended to be taken too seriously. No one will be arrested for not enjoying their cake with a scoop of ice cream – although that is certainly a crime in my opinion. The language of the law also reflects this, dictating only that a “good faith effort” must be made to serve the dessert with dairy. Tebbetts confirmed that this legislation was “certainly meant to be fun – and probably ironic – and it doesn’t require anything.”

“When serving apple pie in Vermont, a ‘good faith effort’ is made to meet one or more of the following conditions: (a) with a cold glass of milk, (b) with a slice of cheddar cheese weighing at least 1/ 2 ounces, (c) with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.”

But why do Vermonters care so much about apple pie that they specify how to serve it? In reality, this law is more about dairy than apples. The dairy sector, one of the 10 largest industries in the state, generated approximately $1.6 billion in revenue in 2023. People are proud of Vermont’s dairy industry, even if they are not directly involved in the industry. (I would know, my boyfriend talks about cheese regularly.)

“Agriculture, and dairy farming in particular, has shaped Vermont’s rural landscape, culture and economy,” said Corey Barrows, programs and public relations manager at Cabot Creamerytold Food & Wine. “Dairy farmers provide jobs, access to their land for recreation and are often deeply involved in their local communities.” Cabot is a large dairy cooperative based in Vermont, whose products you’ve probably seen in grocery stores. The brand even has one shirt that commemorates the Pie Act, and of course I own one now.

Hilary Walentuka registered dietitian and senior nutrition specialist at New England Dairy, explained the true size of Vermont’s dairy industry and what its influence looks like within the state. Dairy supports more than 13,000 jobs in Vermont (for context, the total population was 647,064 in 2022), and the state is home to the most dairy farms in New England.

It’s not just a big dairy industry, it’s a quality industry. “Vermont is home to more than 40 different cheesemakers, and the state is well known on the national and international stage,” Walentuk said. Vermont cheeses took home 142 domestic and international cheese prizes.”

Despite the influence milk, cheese and ice cream have on the Green Mountain State, the apple pie law is not a nefarious marketing tactic by the dairy industry. It’s just a lighthearted piece of legislation that pays tribute to the importance of local agriculture.

So if you can’t visit Vermont during leaf-peeping season, you can at least eat like you’re in New England by serving a slice of apple pie with a scoop of ice cream – or some cheddar cheese if you like to taste just how delicious this unexpected combination can be .