It is widely known that the native place of Pizza is Italy. Naples, to be specific is known to be the birthplace of the cheesy flatbread which has become so popular across the world, that there is a whole day dedicated to it; the ‘World Pizza Day’, celebrated all across the globe on 9th February. Not just that, “the culinary art of Neapolitan “Pizzaiuolo” has also been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. Over the years, Pizza has evolved in many different ways, now there are countless kinds of pizzas available but to think all of them have direct links to Italy, would be a gross misappropriation. Scores of Italians migrated to the States by the end of the 19th century, so much so that Manhattan in New York City was nicknamed as Little Italy. The first pizzeria in the U.S., Lombardi's, opened doors in New York City's Little Italy in 1905. Ever since then, various districts and states in the US came up with their own kind of pizzas. Here are 4 kinds of Pizzas that originated in the US.
Detroit Pizza
Detroit-style pizza was originally baked in a square pan, in the automobile capital back in 1940’s. The original pizza was first topped with pepperoni and brick cheese which was allowed to spread to the edges of the pan. Then the sauce is poured, and the pizza crust is also crispy and tender.
Chicago Pizza
Also known as deep-dish pizza, this pizza originated at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago, in 1943, by Uno's founder Ike Sewell. Here, the crust is very deep, giving pizza the appearance of a pie. The addition of semolina and cornmeal in the dough, the crust of the pizza is distinctively yellow, the toppings are saucy and thick. It is first layered with cheese, on top of which meat and veggies are kept.
California Pizza
In the late 1970s, Chef Ed LaDou experimented a great deal with traditional pizza recipes of the time at an Italian restaurant, Prego. One of the pizzas he created with mustard, ricotta, pate and red pepper found a fan in Wolfgang Puck, who invited him to be a head pizza chef at his restaurant Puck. Eventually, California-style pizzas came to be known for their innovative approach, in terms of toppings and crust, think: goat cheese and eggs.
St. Louis Pizza
This thin crust, cracker-like pizza is made without yeast. It is cut in 3-4 inches wide rectangles and is topped with processed cheese, Swiss cheese, cheddar, pavlone etc. In 19th century, Several Italian immigrants from Sicily and Milan settled in St. Louis, which is why the sauce of this pizza is also on the sweeter side.
Apart from this, there are New York-style pizzas, in which the crust is so thin you can roll it up. Or the controversial Hawaiian Pizza which features a topping of a pineapple, and many more. How many of these Pizzas have you tried.
