New York-style pizza was conceived in the early 1900s in New York city with a trademark wide, thin and foldable design. The original toppings were mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and any other toppings that
the pizza maker desired. This style of pizza is usually hand-tossed and easy on the sauce and the slices were traditionally consumed as a sort of "street snack" while folded in half since its large size and limp design made
it difficult and somewhat frustrating to eat flat.
The most noticeable thing to note between other American pizzas and New York style is the thin, hand-tossed crust which is prepared from a high-gluten bread flour. Another significant thing to note is that the distinct flavor of the
crust is owed to the the minerals found in New York water; there are a number of out-of-state pizza makers that want to make their New York-style pizza authentic and have New York water specially transported across the country. Usually,
New York pizza is sold either as a whole pie or by the slice. Whole pies are usually 18 inches wide and cut into eight slices. While some New York pizzerias have slices with various toppings ready for sell, they might also choose to
have plain cheese slices and simply add additional toppings upon re-heating.
Generally, New York pizzerias have condiments such as oregano, grated Parmesan cheese, dried red chili pepper and garlic powder that can be added at the customer's discretion. Sicilian slices are square-shaped slices with a particularly
thicker dough that are also served in the New York area. But these kinds of pizza can deviate sharply from traditional Sicilian pizza.
Traditional Sicilian pizza recipes call for anchovies and pecorino cheese. This style of pizza is comparable to a dish called tomato pie and is quite popular in Italian-American communities throughout New Jersey, Greater Boston, and
New York, especially in Utica where the large Italian-American community is mostly Sicilian. |
