The pizza pie is an ubiquitous symbol of both
Italian cooking and Americana. Oven-baked, thin-crust or deep-dish, round or
square, it is a common favorite throughout the United States, with a wide number
of regional variations.
The most traditional pie is the pizza Napolitano, or Neapolitan pizza. Made of
strong flour, the dough is often kneaded by hand and then rolled flat and thin.
The pizza is cooked in an extremely hot wood-fired stone
oven for only sixty to ninety seconds, and is removed when it is soft and
fragrant. Common varieties of Neapolitan pizza include marinara, made with
tomato, olive oil, oregano, and garlic, and margherita, made with tomato, olive
oil, fresh basil leaves, and mozzarella cheese.
The Midwest also plays host to the St. Louis
style pizza. This thin-crust delicacy is made using local provel cheese instead
of mozzarella, and is very crispy. Heavily seasoned with oregano and other
spices, with a slightly sweet sauce, it is difficult to fold because of the
crust and is often cut into squares, instead of served in slices.
Chicago is also home to a major variety of pizza.The Chicago-style pizza is deep
dish, meaning it is made in a pan with the crust formed up the sides, or even
with two crusts and sauce between, a so-called “stuffed” pizza. The ingredients
are “reversed” in a Chicago pizza, with cheese going in first, and then sauce on
top. This particular form of pizza was invented in 1943 at Uno’s Pizzeria in the
River North neighborhood of Chicago.
A Hawaiian pizza is an American invention that has nothing to do with Hawaii
save that one of the main ingredients is pineapple. The pineapple is put atop
the pizza, along with Canadian bacon, giving a rather sweet taste very different
from pizzas closer to the Italian original. Hawaiian pizza is very common in the
Western United States.
In fact, a number of esoteric pizzas are common on the West coast, and “gourmet”
pizza is often referred to as “California-style” pizza.
Pizza is as diverse as America itself, with almost infinite variations – all of
them delicious.