| The pie is a ubiquitous symbol of both | | | | even with two crusts and sauce between, |
| Italian cooking and Americana. | | | | so-called "stuffed" pizzas. The |
| Oven-baked, thin-crust or deep-dish, | | | | ingredients are "reversed" in a Chicago |
| round or square, it is a common favorite | | | | pizza, with cheese going in first, and |
| throughout the United States, with a | | | | then sauce on top. This particular form |
| wide number of regional variations. | | | | of pizza was invented in 1943 at Uno's |
| The most traditional pie is the pizza | | | | Pizzeria in the River North neighborhood |
| Napolitano, or Neapolitan pizza. Made of | | | | of Chicago. |
| strong flour, the dough is often kneaded | | | | The Midwest also plays host to the St. |
| by hand and then rolled flat and thin | | | | Louis style pizza. This thin-crust |
| without a rolling pin. The pizza is | | | | delicacy is made using local provel |
| cooked in an extremely hot wood-fired | | | | cheese instead of mozzarella, and is |
| stone oven for only sixty to ninety | | | | very crispy. Heavily seasoned with |
| seconds, and is removed when it is soft | | | | oregano and other spices, with a |
| and fragrant. Common varieties of | | | | slightly sweet sauce, it is difficult to |
| Neapolitan pizza include marinara, made | | | | fold because of the crust and is often |
| with tomato, olive oil, oregano, and | | | | cut into squares, instead of served in |
| garlic, and marguerite, made with | | | | slices. |
| tomato, olive oil, fresh basil leaves, | | | | A Hawaiian pizza is an American |
| and mozzarella cheese. | | | | invention that has nothing to do with |
| New York was home to the first pizza | | | | Hawaii save that one of the main |
| parlor in the United States, opened in | | | | ingredients is pineapple. The pineapple |
| Little Italy in 1905 by Gennaro | | | | is put atop the pizza, along with |
| Lombardi. It is not surprising, then, | | | | Canadian bacon, giving a rather sweet |
| that New York-style pizza dominates in | | | | taste very different from pizzas closer |
| the Northeastern part of the country. It | | | | to the Italian original. Hawaiian pizza |
| is thin-crusted, and made with a thin | | | | is very common in the Western United |
| layer of sauce and grated cheese. The | | | | States. |
| dough is hand-tossed, making the pie | | | | In fact, a number of esoteric pizzas are |
| large and thin. As a result, it is | | | | common on the West coast, and "gourmet" |
| served cut into slices, traditionally | | | | pizza is often referred to as |
| eight, which are often eaten folded in | | | | "California-style" pizza. This is an |
| half. It can be served with any number | | | | example of fusion cuisine, and many of |
| of toppings, including pepperoni, the | | | | the pizzas go far beyond the common |
| most popular topping in the United | | | | tomato sauce and cheese. Thai pizza, for |
| States, or as a "white pizza", which | | | | example, can include bean sprouts and |
| includes no tomato sauce and is made | | | | peanut sauce, while breakfast pizza, as |
| with a variety of cheeses, such as | | | | the name implies, may be topped with |
| mozzarella and ricotta. | | | | bacon and scrambled eggs. As a "gourmet" |
| Chicago is also home to a major variety | | | | food, California pizzas are often |
| of pizza. The Chicago-style pizza is | | | | individual sized, serving two people at |
| deep dish, meaning it is made in a pan | | | | most, and are not cut in slices like |
| with the crust formed up the sides, or | | | | other common types of pizza pie. |