Adelaide Heritage Icon · Pie in Pea Soup
Pie Floater
Photo: Experiment 47 / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
It was officially recognised as a South Australian Heritage Icon by the National Trust in 2003 — a meat pie sunk upside-down in pea soup, once the late-night feed of choice outside Adelaide's horse-drawn pie carts.
A meat pie is turned upside down into a bowl of thick, mushy pea soup, then topped with a squeeze of tomato sauce and eaten with a spoon, not held in the hand. It's the signature dish of Adelaide's pie carts, a late-night street tradition dating to the 19th century.
Why it's made this way: Adelaide's pie carts have operated on the city's streets since the 19th century, and the pie floater, reputedly popularised by Port Pirie baker Ern 'Shorty' Bradley in the 1890s, became the after-dark meal of choice for generations of Adelaide night owls.
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