SCOTLAND, S.D. (KELO) —South Dakota’s state dessert is reaching a big milestone this year–it’s 25th anniversary. Since its inception, kuchen’s popularity has only grown.
Roger Pietz was raised on kuchen.
“It has a sweet dough crust. And then you put your fruit in the middle, whatever fruit you prefer. And then there’s other fillings like poppy seed or cottage cheese, those kinds of things. And then there’s a homemade custard that goes on top of it, and that completes that delicious dessert,” Pietz’s Kuchen Kitchen Co-owner, Lori Pietz said.
It’s a German dessert that came over with the German-Russian population.
“When I was a child, I used to watch my mother make kuchen all the time,” Pietz’s Kuchen Kitchen Co-owner, Roger Pietz said.
It was something that he always had a passion for, and that passion came with an idea.
“I always told my wife, I said, if we could, get the right kuchen, the way I like it, you know? I said, I think I can market it,” Roger said.
“I started making kuchen and then we gave it away as gifts and, and it was popular and we enjoyed doing it,” Lori said.
In 2000, Kuchen became the official dessert of South Dakota. And, Roger knew it was time he and his wife Lori launch their business.
“I told my wife, I said, we need to get on board with this right away. I said, this is huge for advertising. It’s going to make my job so much easier. And it did. Gosh. When we started this, I don’t know what TV station. I don’t know what magazine. We were just doing interviews all the time,” Roger said.
Their homemade aspect to the kuchen has also boosted the Pietzes popularity.
“Our dough is made from scratch, or custard is made from scratch. We try to source as many fruits as we can from around here and cut all of those up and utilize those,” Lori said.
Which has made marketing the product a piece of cake.
“I feel like that there’s not a lot of things out there like, anymore like that are very handmade or homemade recipes. So I feel like when somebody gets our product, they’re really getting something that’s just different. And, and, I think that’s why people keep picking it up all the time is it’s just something that’s just not readily available to everybody anymore,” Pietz’s Kuchen Kitchen, Sales and Marketing, Michael Pietz said.
While their kuchen has captured hearts across the state, it’s also getting attention outside of South Dakota.
“With it being coast to coast in South Dakota, we’ve had the opportunity where other stores have seen that outside of the state. And, I feel like store owners have seen that and they grasp on to that. You know, going into Minnesota, into Iowa and in Nebraska has been huge, and it’s really grown and they’ve been very receptive to us,” Michael said.
“Every state in the Union has come through them front doors, and I’m talking Hawaii, Alaska, you name the state, have come through the doors. We have shipped every state in the Union except Hawaii,” Roger said.
Whether or not kuchen’s popularity grows across the U.S., it will always have a home in Pietz’s Kuchen Kitchen.
“I think they have just done a fantastic job getting that into everybody’s hands and letting the public enjoy it. Just like I have, you know, my entire life, my mom and dad have really created something special here, so I just I’m glad that the world gets to experience it,” Michael said.
“The people of South Dakota really own this business, because they’ve supported us through thick and thin and they continue to do that. If it wasn’t for the people of South Dakota and the surrounding states, I don’t know if we’d be in business, to be honest with you,” Roger said.
Each year, the Pietz’s sell around 30,000 kuchens.
