On April 5th, National Deep Dish Pizza Day gives pizza lovers a day to celebrate one of America’s favorite varieties of pizza.
- 997 AD – The earliest documentation of the word ‘Pizza’ dates back to a Latin text in Italy — back then, pizzas were just flatbreads
- 18th Century – Originating from the Italian word ‘pinsere,’ modern pizza evolves in Naples, Italy.
- 19th Century – Italian immigrants bring their love of pizza to the U.S.
- 1905 – It was estimated that the annual production of pizza cheese in the United States in 1997 was 2 billion pounds.
- 1943 – Italian descendants Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo open “Pizzeria Uno” in one of Chicago’s North Side neighborhoods.
- 1971 – Rocco Palese, founder of Nancy’s Pizza, created stuffed pizza in 1971, drawing inspiration from his mother’s scarciedda—a savory Italian Easter pie filled with ricotta and meats.
- 1997 – It was estimated that the annual production of pizza cheese in the United States in 1997 was 2 billion pounds.
- Americans eat about 100 acres of pizza every day.
- The founder of Pizzeria Uno originally planned to open a Mexican restaurant, not a pizzeria.
- Sewell and Riccardo aimed to make a meal that was heartier and more filling, combining their love for Italian cuisine with the robust culinary traditions of the Midwest. This led to creating a pizza that was more like a pie, with high edges and a generous amount of filling.
- Over 25% of males between the ages of 6 and 19 eat pizza every day.
- An Italian study found that eating pizza once a week may lower the risk of esophageal cancer, maybe because of the antioxidant lycopene found in tomato sauce.
- The Lycopene in tomatoes makes them appear red.
- In deep-dish pizzas, the cheese and toppings are placed first, with the tomato sauce on top. This arrangement prevents the cheese from burning during the longer baking time required for the thick crust.
- Detroit-style pizza, with its rectangular shape and thick crust, was inspired by Chicago’s deep-dish but features its own unique characteristics, like a crispy, cheesy edge.
- St. Louis-style – Made with a thin and crispy cracker crust, the St. Louis-style pizza is often cut into squares.
- New York-style – Do you fold your pizza? Well, New Yorkers do, and the New York-style of pizza is perfectly foldable.
- D.C.-style – These jumbo slices of pizza are…well…massive! Eating one slice is equal to eating three to four slices of a regular pizza slice for many people.
- Omaha-style – It’s all about the meat topping this biscuit-style crust in Nebraska. In between, a thin layer of sauce brings it all together.
- Neapolitan – Simply made with fresh ingredients, including basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes
- Stuffed – Two layers of dough are stuffed with all ingredients that normally top a traditional pizza
- Greek – Expect a little more dough and Mediterranean flavors with this pizza
- 2% of Americans claim that Chicago-style pizza isn’t real pizza—according to them, it’s a casserole.
- 5% of Americans like gourmet pizza—the fancier, the better. Meanwhile, 10% of Americans are fans of basic pizza—the simpler, the better. 4% of Americans consider themselves pizza snobs.
- 20% of Americans believe that pizza should be eaten with the hands and not with a fork. (Although, with deep-dish pizza, this is likely to end up with more than the average mess!).
- Only 2% of Americans say they have gotten into heated debates over which is better: New York Style (thin crust) or Chicago Style (deep dish).
- At least 16% of Americans say that they don’t have a preference either way–they just love pizza any way they can get it.
- While Pizzeria Uno’s founder, Ike Sewell, is often credited, some suggest that the original recipe came from the restaurant’s cook, Alice Mae Redmond, or manager Rudy Malnati Sr.
- Stuffed pizza includes an extra thin layer of dough atop the cheese and toppings, beneath the sauce, creating a pie-like appearance, whereas deep-dish lacks this additional layer.
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