February 15, 2023

Fact or Fiction: Real Men Don't Eat Quiche

There seems to be an aura of mystique about quiche. It puzzles me a little because essentially quiche is just an egg custard cooked in a pie crust. I think the hesitation some people have about making or eating quiche is probably due to one of the following reasons. See if you agree!

The fear that quiche is difficult to make

If you can dump a few ingredients into a pie plate or quiche dish, grate some cheese and beat some eggs, you can make a quiche. It's really that simple.

The pastry crust

Quiches are typically made with a pie crust. For some, the thought of making pastry is unnerving, especially if it's not something you've done before or do very often. It's really not difficult, but I can understand the hesitation. So then, go ahead and buy a pre-made pastry shell. There's no shame in that! Or maybe it's the amount of fat and calories pastry typically contains. The solution? Go crustless! There's no rule that says a quiche has to be made with a crust.

The fact that you don't own a quiche dish

A pie plate will work just as well. Don't have one of those either? Use an 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23 cm) square baking dish. Or, buy a frozen pie crust which comes in an aluminum pie plate. Then simply pour your filling ingredients into it. Most likely the pie plate won't be as deep as a quiche dish so you probably won't use all the filling. If you have some left over, pour it into small baking dishes, custard cups, or muffin pan cups and bake alongside the quiche. Check these mini quiches frequently as they won't take as long to bake as the quiche.

The slight feeling of insecurity that comes with not being completely sure how to pronounce "quiche"

It's been mispronounced as "qwich", "qwich-ee", "quickie", "kitch", "keech-ee" and no doubt numerous other variations. The correct way to say it is "keesh".

What is the origin of the word ‘quiche’?

The word 'quiche' comes from the Alsace region in France, which originally belonged to Germany. It is believed that the word originated in the area prior to French occupation.

The concern that Real Men Don't Eat Quiche

Now there's an outdated sentiment based on the 1982 book by Bruce Feirstein about "all that is truly masculine." Newsflash! These days, real men eat quiche! (And they shop for groceries and cook too). If you know a guy who balks at the idea of eating quiche, just call it a pie.

Who Coined the Phrase Real Men Don't Eat Quiche?

Although the title of Bruce Feirstein’s 1982 book called Real Men Don’t Eat Quiche was intended to be light-hearted, the phrase was widely adopted and taken seriously by some.

Why Did ‘Real Men' Stop Eating Quiche?

As a result of the saying “real men don’t eat quiche”, some men did refuse to eat quiche due to the impression that quiche was not manly.

I hope this has put any quiche-making or eating concerns to rest!

Try these delicious quiche recipes!

Basic Quiche

Start with this base using a frozen pie shell or make your own pastry. Simply add a variety of filling options. Serve with a green salad for a light meal.