‘This makes me furious’: Australians rage over US blogger’s attempt to eat a meat pie
An American culinary explorer has dismayed Australians for his “brutal display” while consuming a meat pie at a Victorian market.
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An American food blogger’s first time devouring the “most Aussie beef meat pie” at a Victorian market has infuriated Australians, with some claiming he “absolutely butchered” the meal.
Self-described “eater” Mark Wiens recently set foot in Australia for the first time to explore the country’s culinary scene and recorded his travels to share his experience with his 9.85 million followers.
In his latest YouTube video, the 37-year-old kicked off his “ultimate Australian food tour” by visiting the celebrated South Melbourne Market, which was established in 1867 and boasts just over 150 stalls and traders.
The market is renowned for its fresh produce, local fashion and footwear and range of homeware and kitchenware.
Wiens visited Victoria’s oldest operated market in a bid to consume some of the country’s most iconic foods, first expanding his palette by trying a fried hot jam donut ball.
He launched his verdict by commenting on the donut’s crispness, before concluding it was “sweet and very good”.
The “traveller, author, blogger, video host and coffee drinker” continued his tour of the market and arrived at a pastry stall which stocked golden pies and sausage rolls.
He was accompanied by Tess and Chef Nick from Her Melbourne who explained to Wien the origin of the meat pie and how Australians consume it.
“It’s the footy, it’s the cricket, it’s sport,” Tess said, explaining how significant meat pies were in Australia.
“That’s where the love affair came from. There’s no tables, no chairs – it’s standing with a steaming hot pie and a lot of tomato sauce.”
After purchasing the pie, Chef Nick gave a demonstration about how Australians eat the meat pie.
“You want to squeeze all the sauce on the top, take (the pie) and put it in (your mouth) … You have to burn your mouth.” he said.
Wiens reiterated Chef Nick’s sentiments and “in true fashion” picked up the pie, before telling his viewers: “take as big a bite as possible, you’re actually hoping to burn your mouth … that’s my dream”.
The vlogger then launched into the Aussie food icon before describing it as “crispy, gooey, wet and juicy”.
As he took another bite, the pie’s lid and its beef contents looked as if it was about to fall out of place, with Wiens appearing to struggle to hold it.
“It just collapses in your hand as you eat it,” he explained.
The experience was labelled a success when Wiens “burned” his lip, and ended with a close-up shot of a half crumbled pie.
The less than two minute experience was enough to cause a rage among Australia pie eaters who took their concerns to the Melbourne forum in Reddit.
“Mark Wiens’ visa should have immediately been revoked after this atrocious first bite of a meat pie at South Melbourne Market,” one infuriated Melburnian posted alongside a video of Wiens consuming the pie.
“What the hell was that?” another person questioned in response. “I have never seen anyone eat a meat pie like that ever.”
“I was so excited to see Mark in Melbourne. Then I watched this,” one fan said.
“What a brutal display. Abhorrent. I will never look at a meat pie the same again.”
A fourth said: This makes me furious. Reposition your pie hand damn it, don’t crush the structural walls! His jaw practically unhinged for that tiny bite.”
Meanwhile, others argued Wiens had been set up from the start, thanks to Chef Nick’s explanation of how to eat a pie.
“Who didn’t tell him the first bite is always a temp check? That could’ve been the end of all his taste buds,” one pie eater asked.
“He was really led astray by his guide on that one,” another person conceded.
A third comment read: “Looks like Mark needs to enrol in a pie eating 101 class. Can‘t be butchering our Aussie delicacies!”
So what is the correct way?
Wiens’ pie display may have revealed the wrong way to consume a meat pie in Australia, but according to a quick Google Search there doesn’t appear to be one correct way to eat a pie.
Instead suggestions include consuming a pie with the aid of a fork and knife, opening the pie’s lid before filling it with tomato sauce and consuming it inside out with a spoon, and turning it upside down to eat it.
There are also a number of pie-eating demonstrations on TikTok from Australians who have argued they know the best way to eat a meat pie.
For Australian travel Youtuber Josie, who is known by the handle @josieliftsthings, her way of eating a pie includes eating its lid, meat and bottom pastry all separately with a dash of tomato sauce.
Meanwhile mum influencer Aimee, who goes by the handle @aimeelco, consumes her pies by taking off the pie lid, filling the inside with sauce and then reapplying the lid before biting into the snack.
As for TikTokker Mark Sparky, his “how to eat a pie” video got 100,000 views with the vlogger choosing a knife and fork as his weapon of choice to devour the Aussie icon.
“First you get your pie, you get your sauce. Sauce on the pie then, very simple, knife and fork and dig in,” he said.
Originally published as ‘This makes me furious’: Australians rage over US blogger’s attempt to eat a meat pie
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