Sweet potatoes have always been a staple here. I never even heard of pumpkin pie while I was growing up. I don't think pumpkin has a lot of flavor. What you put in the pies is what adds flavor. The spices make it taste similar to sweet potato pie. If I'm going to eat something that tastes like sweet potato pie, I'd rather it be sweet potato pie.
All this darned talk of pies... I was at Walmart this afternoon putting more miles on my truck before the repair warranty expires, and had to feed my new·ish holiday pie habit. I was gonna get a pumpkin pie, but this thread started to echo in my head. I have no idea what Patti LaBelle has to do with sweet potato pie.