Florida Keys celebrates 200th birthday with world's largest key lime pie

The Florida Keys celebrated its 200th birthday on Monday. To celebrate its bicentennial anniversary, Key residents made a gigantic Key lime pie, measuring more than 13 feet (4 meters) in diameter. 

The Florida Territorial Legislature established Monroe County, which contains all of the Keys and parts of the Everglades National Park, on July 3, 1823. 

The famous key lime pie originated in the 1800s in Key West. By 2006, the pie had become such a staple of the area that the state legislature designated it as Florida's official pie. 

Given the importance of the pie, there was no better way to celebrate the Keys’ birthday than by trying to make one that would break the world record for the largest Key lime pie. 

The pie served on Monday at Big Pine Community Park in the Lower Keys was prepared by local chefs, featuring the pie’s traditional graham-cracker crust and whipped cream topping. Of course, Key West chefs Kermit Carpenter and Paul Menta did not forget the juice from thousands of Key limes. 

"In order to make a really good Key lime pie, you must have the perfect graham cracker crust; you must surround it and fill it with condensed milk and the juice of fresh Key limes," said Florida Keys County Commissioner Michelle Lincoln.

The record-breaking pie required more than 16 gallons of Key lime juice, 100 gallons of condensed milk, and about 125 pounds of graham crackers. 

The bicentennial celebration also features live music, games for kids, a drone show, and fireworks for everyone who wants to celebrate this piece of Florida's history. However, the pie was “the highlight of a patriotic gathering at Big Pine Community Park,” said the Twitter account for the Florida Keys.