The Pizza Style Guide

Trying to define pizza by the country is simply impossible. Variety is the name of the game. The dish comes in all shapes and sizes, from the tiniest pizza bites to Goliath pizzas that require a palette and forklift instead of a cardboard box.

It's especially problematic stereotype American pizza because every city has it's own interpretation.

Let's check out some of the most popular pizza styles in the US.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a pizza ranking list, this is a guide.

California
Unique. Think California Pizza Kitchen. California-style pizza experiments with different, non-traditional toppings. Mozzarella and tomato sauce are just too boring. Think goat cheese and vegetables. The pizzas serve usually one or two as opposed to a traditionally large pie.


Chicago
The deep dish. Picture UNO. Chicago-style pizza has a deep crust - usually several inches high. Chefs load the pizza with cheese and chunky tomato sauce, but the crust typically rises above it.
The thin crust. Chicago loves the thin crust pizza as well. A thin crust pizza is typically thin and crunchy.


Detroit
Square. Don't think Little Caesars. Detroit-style pizza is a square, Sicilian style pizza with a thicker crust. The sauce is added last and the pizza is twice baked. Despite the pizza chains like Little Caesars that call Detroit home, these chains do not reflect Detroit's style.


Hawaii
Fruity. Think anywhere but Hawaii. Pineapple, ham, and bacon typically top a Hawaiian-style pizza. But this style did not originate in Hawaii. The first Hawaiian pizza was supposedly made in Ontario in 1962, according to the Toronto Sun. Hardly Hawaiian, but still popular in many circles.


New Haven
Apizza. Think Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. New Haven-style pizza is minus the mozzarella cheese. Apizza consists of crust, tomato sauce, oregano, and Romano cheese. Mozzarella would be a topping. The crust is thinner and cooked in a coal oven as opposed to the typical brick oven.


New York
Big and mobile. Picture Sbarros. New York-style pizza is big and greasy. Slices are much larger than typical fare so the pizza can be eaten on the go. Fold the pizza in half to make it easy to eat while walking the city streets.


St. Louis
Crispy. St. Louis-style pizza requires a think crust made without yeast and Provel cheese as opposed to your typical mozzarella. Most restaurants cut St. Louis-style pizza in squares. Chefs load the pizza with oregano and salt.