In and around Louisville, lots of things are named after the Kentucky Derby. The famous horse race, held at Churchill Downs every first weekend in May, has leant its name to everything from apartment complexes to hats to… pie. It’s a part of many Kentuckians Derby Day celebrations. But as beloved as Derby Pie is, it’s also been the source of controversy. In this episode, producer Nina Feldman brings us the story of how the name of a confection has tapped into something surprisingly emotional—and divisive—for one Southern community.

The production room (with curtain!) at Kern's Kitchen.
The production room (with curtain!) at Kern’s Kitchen.

Learn more about Kern’s Kitchen here.

Rick Paul at White Light Diner.
Rick Paul at White Light Diner.

You can find Science Hill Inn here, and White Light Diner here.

If you’re curious about the trademarking of food products, you can learn about the history of food shapes trademarks and patents here, and the trademarking of food colors here. In 2013, Pho Holdings tried to trademark pho for use in business names. You can read about the resulting uproar over the attempt to trademark the traditional Vietnamese dish here.

And… if you want to bake your own pie NOT named Derby (this author went with “May Day Pie”), you can find a recipe here.

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