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I Am Genuinely Confused As To Why South Australians Love Pie Floaters

A blob of green mush? It's a no from me, thanks.

Isha Bassi
by Isha Bassi

Entertainment Producer

Alright, let's start this off by acknowledging that Australian food in general can be, well, a little on the wacky side.

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But, that's what makes it so good! Like, just imagine the thought process of the person who decided to combine white bread, butter and sprinkles? Genius, legendary, iconic.

There is just one thing I don't understand though and that is the concept of a pie floater.

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"What on earth is THAT?", I hear you ask. Well, according to my research, pie floaters are a South Australian staple that is particularly popular in Adelaide.

Adelaide Town Hall; the image is captioned "this is where all the pie floater stans live"
Pawel Toczynski / Getty Images

Put simply, it's an inverted meat pie served in a bowl of pea soup that's been topped — or garnished, if we want to sound fancy — with tomato sauce.

Yep, that's right. Meat pie, pea soup and tomato sauce, all served together, in the one bowl.

A plate filled with pea soup, an inverted meat pie and a drizzling of tomato sauce
Flickr: LonBinder / Via Flickr: lonbinder

That means all that gravy, soup and sauce is gonna be mixed together. Lovely.

Now, clearly there's some differences over the degree to which the pie is submerged and the consistency of the pea soup.

Sometimes it's on the runnier side and the pie is completely hidden from view.

A plate filled with a runny pea soup that has tomato sauce on top
Flickr: Jay Shenn / Via Flickr: 44841911@N07

It's like a game of buried treasure. What's under the soup?! OH, it's a meat pie!

Sometimes it's thiccccccc and the pie is front and centre.

And other times, it's just, well, a combination of the two.

A plate filled with pea soup with a submerged meat pie with tomato sauce on top
Flickr: Craiga / Via Flickr: craiga

This picture just screams uni student life.

Look, I'm going to be honest and say that to me, this looks like an extremely unappetising blob of green mush.

A plate filled with pea soup with a submerged meat pie with tomato sauce on top
Flickr: Amanda Slater / Via Flickr: pikerslanefarm

The swirl of tomato sauce REALLY isn't helping, nor is this soup, which is kinda chunky, but then kinda not??? IDK, I've never really eaten pea soup, so maybe it's supposed to look like this.

Plus, the best part about a meat pie is that flaky, crispy pastry. So, by putting in the soup, you're essentially making it soggy?! WHO WOULD WANT THAT!!!!!

A plate filled with pea soup with a meat pie with tomato sauce on top
U/ TurtleInATracksuit / Via reddit.com

No one likes a soggy bottom. No one.

I REPEAT — WHO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Blac Chyna yelling into her phone while sitting in a car
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Supposedly, pie floaters do the trick after you've had a couple of drinks and are craving something. And I get that, because drunk meals rarely make sense, but there's also hot chips and kebabs to choose from, people.

Side by side of a kebab and hot chips; the image is captioned "why have a soggy pie/soup combo when you've got THIS on offer"
@foodfromjo / instagram.com / Getty Images

And I know I shouldn't knock it until I try it — especially since pie floaters were officially recognised as a South Australian Heritage Icon in 2003 — but I can't help it. Every spoonful would be MUSHY.

A plate filled with pea soup with a submerged meat pie with tomato sauce on top
Flickr: Tasmin Slater / Via Flickr: offchurch-tam

I respect it, but I just don't think there'll ever be a point in my life where I go, "You know what? Today is the day to try a pie floater."

I am confused, I do not understand and I need someone from South Australia to explain why you guys froth over these.

Like, power to you. Please enjoy all the pie floaters in the world, but I, for one, will not be combining my meat pies and pea soups anytime soon.

ABC