Being that I am 100% Italian, born into a family that has been slinging pizza pies for 4 decades, and am from New York, I tend to be a pizza snob. Yes, a pizza snob (they surely exist). Wherever I am in the world, the one thing I always look for is a pizza place on a corner that I can go in and try a slice. To my surprise, I haven’t found one slice that has been better than a New York slice of pizza.
There is nothing better than that airy crust, zesty sauce, and perfect amount of mozzarella cheese on a NY slice. Pizza is a major food group for all people, so it is very important to find the right slice with all the magical flavors that dance in your mouth.
There are three myths as to why New York pizza is indeed the best pizza, and they are actually more of a reality than a myth.
1. The Water
Yes, I am aware this sounds quite silly but it is true! My dad always told me that the water is the key ingredient as too why the crust for NY pizza is so crunchy. According to Alexander Aciman, NY’s water is filled with fluoride and minerals that other places don’t have.
Chris Ross, a food scientist with the CIA says, “Water binds the dough’s few ingredients. Nearly every chemical reaction that produces flavor occurs in water.” There are very few ingredients that go into making the dough: flour, water, sugar, yeast, and salt. Since the water is the only “wet” ingredient, it needs to be the best water around to bind that dough together.
Another key fact about making pizza is the way you handle and stretch the dough. Having the dough a good consistency so you can get that perfect round circle of love is crucial. This all goes back to water being the main ingredient. So basically since New York water is the best, NY pizza is the best.
2. The Ovens
Well can’t anyone just buy the same oven New Yorker’s use and the pizza will taste the same? WRONG! New Yorker’s use deck ovens that cook at extremely high temperatures and are often decades old. The older the oven, the better the flavor in my eyes.
Hayden, a writer for Eat Up New York, is an author who writes about all things that have to do with eating in New York and food about New York. He states that the flavors from the oven from all the years of being used, enhance the flavor of the pizza. I don’t know how much I believe that, but if that is what makes the pizza as good as it does, I’ll take it!
Every pizza owner knows that if you cook the pizza directly on the stone rather than using a screen, the pizza will develop a crunchier crust and get cooked evenly. But some NY places don’t have these old style ovens and their pizza is just as good. I promise, the water is key!
3. The Freshest Ingredients
Being that New York City is one of the biggest cities in the country, we have the opportunity to have the best resources when it comes to importing food. Most pizzerias in NY import all of their ingredients straight from Italy.
Now, I am not saying you have to do that but, it makes a huge difference. Having fresh Roma tomatoes and making the sauce with the right herbs and spices will showcase not only in taste but the quality of your pizza.
Believe it or not, the quality of cheese and tomatoes that are used on pizza will determine if a pizza is greasy or not. Who wants a greasy pizza? As you move to more upstate New York, the farm land increases and there are so many outlets for local pizzerias to use fresh ingredients. Farm to table is a great technique to use in business because customers really love having the freshest ingredients.
My theories as to why New York pizza is so good: the crust and ingredients. The pizza in Connecticut, where I go to school, is thin crust and while some people like it, that is a New Yorker’s worst nightmare.
A thick, crunchy crust is the what makes a slice so amazing and will cause any family to fight over the last slice. Most New York pizzerias use their Nonna’s sauce and fresh mozzarella. The little details and the freshest ingredients make all the difference.
A thick, crunchy crust is the what makes a slice so amazing and will cause any family to fight over the last slice. These secret hacks are what makes New York pizza the best, and New York pizza will always have a little pizza my heart.