Whether you prefer Chicago-style pizza, with its thick doughy crust and mouth-watering layers of toppings, or New York-style pizza, with its crispy edges and chewy center, or even if you’re a fan of the creamy white sauces on the Pizzas in Rome, chances are you love pizza. And we don’t blame you. It’s delicious. Pizza has been the beloved food of citizens around the world for centuries. From its origins in Italy to the diverse offerings you can find across the globe today, pizza is basically the greatest thing on Earth. And no, we’re definitely not biased.
Here’s a closer look at some of the different types of pizzas that exist around the world. You might be surprised at some of these destinations’ takes on the beloved pizza pie. Read on to learn about unique toppings, traditions, and styles.
What is Chicago-Style Pizza?
Of course, we had to start with our personal favorite: Chicago style. It’s a pizza near and dear to our hearts. The Windy City is famous for its deep-dish pies. These pizzas feature tall edges strong enough to hold the tsunami of delicious flavors, melted cheeses, and chunky sauce inside. Chicago-style pizza can come in many forms, but the most popular is the classic pizza crust, cheese, and tomato sauce. At Pequod’s Pizza, we take deep-dish pizza a step further.
By cooking cheese to the edge of each pan, we caramelize our crusts for a distinctive flavor you’ll want again and again. Our tomato sauce has the perfect level of spice, and our fluffy dough is unlike any other pizza. If you’re not a Chicago local but you’re craving some Chicago-style pizza, we can ship our frozen pizzas directly to you. All you have to do is pop them in the oven, and then you’re ready to enjoy a Windy City favorite.
What is New York-Style Pizza?
Even though Chicago style has a special place in our hearts, there’s also something truly delicious about the thin crispy crust on a New York-style pizza. Some credit the water, others credit the long-standing tradition of Italian-style pizza making that’s existed in New York for well over a century. New York was one of the first places in the United States to see pizza, thanks to Italian immigrants who missed the flavors of their home. Some of those early 1900s restaurants still exist in the city today.
New York-style pizza is traditionally thin, with crispy edges and a chewy, foldable center. In the city that never sleeps, you can often order your favorite late-night snack by the slice, but good luck stopping after just one piece. Pequod’s Pizza added New York-style pizza to the menu in the late 80s, so thin-crust lovers can enjoy New York’s classic style alongside our deeper-dish offerings even outside New York.
What is Greek Pizza?
Greek pizza is an otherworldly pizza offering that showcases a unique style. Classically topped with delicious Mediterranean flavors like feta cheese, olives, roasted red peppers, and basil, there’s a lot to love about a Greek pizza. The Greeks are famous for their flatbreads, which are often topped with aromatic ingredients. They boast firm crusts with spongy centers. In the United States, Greek-style pizzas are among some of the most popular. They’re often proofed and made in metal pans, rather than hand-tossed or made-to-order in a traditional pizza oven.
What is Neapolitan Pizza?
Neapolitan pizza, or Naples-style pizza, is a pizza made from tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. The criteria for a true Neapolitan pizza can be rather strict. Atop its sourdough or natural yeast crust, it requires the use of tomatoes grown in a specific region along with mozzarella produced from specially processed water buffalo milk or cow’s milk. Those who have enjoyed a classic margherita pizza are likely familiar with the incredibleness of its bubbly sourdough crust, ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and gooey mozzarella. Naples is also the birthplace of pizza, and for that, we’re forever in its debt.
What is Detroit-Style Pizza?
Another U.S. region famed for its original take on pizza is Detroit, Michigan. There are a few key details that make Detroit pizza unique. For starters, their pizza isn’t round. The rectangular crust is thick and crispy, and this style of pizza is often topped with a thick layer of Wisconsin cheese and hearty tomato sauce.
What is Sicilian Pizza?
Another Italian-style pie, Sicilian pizza, has quite a few aspects in common with our closer-to-home Detroit style. The Sicilians also reject the circle pizza in favor of a square-shaped pie. The crust of a Sicilian pizza is reminiscent of a focaccia-style flatbread. It’s airy, chewy, and made with lots of oil.
What is Okonomiyaki-Style Pizza?
For a unique take on the pizza we’ve all come to know and love, consider exploring the flavor explosions of Japan’s Okonomiyaki-style pizza. While the toppings are certainly different, Okonomiyaki brings back the classic round style we’ve become accustomed to. It often has toppings like bacon, cabbage, tempura, seaweed, mayonnaise, and okonomiyaki sauce atop a thin crust. (And you thought pineapple was adventurous). With its savory and umami flavors, crisp crust, and bold style, there’s a lot to love about this style of pizza.
What is Roman-Style Pizza?
Although we’ve all grown fairly used to seeing tomatoes on pizza, Rome’s pizza bianca doesn’t include a single one. Instead, this style of pizza is made with a white sauce. Some Roman-style pizzas are very simple, just a dimpled flatbread topped with oil and herbs. Others can get a little more adventurous, with flavorful cheeses and veggies. Traditionally, however, they’re simple, with no cheese or fancy toppings. And, while they couldn’t be farther from the deep dish delights of our hometown, we’d take a slice of the Roman flatbread any day.
Pizza is a pretty special dish, and it’s clear the world agrees. Do you have a favorite style of pizza not on this list? If so, we’d love to hear about it. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re pretty big pizza fans around here. Are you craving pizza now? You can order Pequod’s Pizza online.