Pizza American-style
Italy
may have developed the first modern pizza about 200 years ago. Today, the United States produces more
varieties of pizza than Italy does. The standard pizza is the traditional Italian-style, which has a
thin crust covered with tomatoes and cheese. But many cities also have their own special
pizzas.
New York-style pizza has a much wider and thinner crust compared to Italian pizza. Its
ingredients are usually limited to tomato and cheese. Any extra toppings are baked into the cheese.
It is a common "street snack" and is usually folded to make it easier to eat while
standing. Then there is Chicago's "deep dish" pizza, which is famous for being thick
and heavy. Some may be as much as three centimeters deep. The ingredients usually include large
amounts of meat, cheese, and vegetables. With this kind of pizza, one slice is a whole
meal!
And finally, there is California-style pizza. It is a very light pizza with a thin crust
covered with mostly fresh ingredients and good cheeses. The true California pizza is cooked using a
wood fire. It often has non-traditional toppings like scrambled eggs, baby vegetables, and even
flowers! Some recent combinations include pear and gorgonzola (a kind of cheese), and chicken with
white garlic sauce.