Grouping, alternatives

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all the rows with either 'apple pie' or 'banana pie' in them

if ($row =~ /apple pie/ or $row =~ /banana pie/) {
}

Alternatives

if ($row =~ /apple pie|banana pie/) {
}

Move the common part in one place and limit the alternation to the part within the parentheses.

if ($row =~ /(apple|banana) pie/) {
}