New Haven–style pizza explained

New Haven-style pizza
Alternate Name:Apizza
Country:United States
Region:New Haven, Connecticut
Creator:Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana
Type:Pizza
Main Ingredient:Pizza dough, tomato sauce, pecorino romano

New Haven-style pizza is a style of thin-crust, coal-fired Neapolitan pizza common in and around New Haven, Connecticut. Locally known as apizza (;[1] [2] from Neapolitan 'na pizza, in Neapolitan na ˈpittsə/;), it originated in 1925[3] at the Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana[4] and is now served in many other pizza restaurants in the area, most notably Sally's Apizza and Modern Apizza. This geographically limited pizza style has been favorably regarded by national critics.[5] [6] [7]

Characteristics

In a New Haven-style pizzeria, a "plain" pizza is a crust, oregano, tomato sauce, and a little bit of grated pecorino romano cheese. A "plain" New Haven–style pizza may also be called a "tomato pie".[8] Mozzarella is considered a topping.[9]

Pepe's restaurant is credited with inventing the "white clam pie," a pizza of crust, olive oil, oregano, grated cheese, chopped garlic, and fresh littleneck clams. It served littleneck clams on the half shell at the bar, which Pepe later added to the pizza.[10] [11]

What makes New Haven-style pizza distinct is its thin, often oblong crust, characteristic charring,[9] chewy texture, and limited use of melting cheeses. It tends to be drier and thinner than, but closely related to, traditional New York–style pizza. Both styles in turn are close descendants of the original Neapolitan pizza.[12]

Baking and serving methods

New Haven-style pizza is traditionally baked in a coal-fired oven[13] at extremely hot temperatures above . It is sold whole rather than by the slice.

Availability

, New Haven-style pizza is widely available in New Haven and the surrounding area, especially Bridgeport and other nearby coastal cities and towns.[14] New Haven-style restaurants have opened across the United States, though there are some states and many large cities which still have none.

In media

Henry Winkler, Lyle Lovett, Chris Murphy and Michael Bolton discuss the history of New Haven Pizza in Gorman Bechard's documentary Pizza: A Love Story.[15] In the film the black char imparted from the ovens is described as adding a smoky barbeque flavor not found elsewhere. A recurring phrase spoken by several in the movie is, "It's not burnt, it's charred."

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Zuppardi's Apizza in West Haven celebrates 80 years . Mark . Zaretsky . New Haven Register . December 6, 2014 . November 8, 2015 . December 22, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222153013/http://www.nhregister.com/business/20141206/zuppardis-apizza-in-west-haven-celebrates-80-years . live .
  2. Book: Lehman, Eric D. . Insiders' Guide to Connecticut . 168 . Rowman & Littlefield . Guilford, Connecticut . 2015 . 978-1-4930-1284-8 . 2015-11-09 . 2023-04-20 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230420165016/https://books.google.com/books?id=TEV9CAAAQBAJ&pg=PA168 . live .
  3. Web site: Burke . Miles . 2022 . Best New Haven Pizza Sauce Recipe . live . 2023-01-07 . 2023-01-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230107030037/https://guide.pizza/guides/best-new-haven-pizza-sauce-recipe/ .
  4. Pizza . American Eats . History Channel . June 29, 2006.
  5. Alan . Richman . American Pie . June 2009 . GQ Magazine . Conde Nast . June 21, 2009 . October 16, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091016231742/http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/200905/pizza-american-pie-25-best . live . Sally's is ranked six, while Pepe's is ranked twelve, out of 25 restaurants nationally.
  6. Book: Pizza: A Slice of Heaven . registration . Levine . Ed . Ed Levine . Steingarten . Jeffrey . 2005 . Universe Publishing . New York, New York . 0-7893-1205-0 . 24 . In my experience, the perfect Neapolitan-American pizzas are made in New York City and in New Haven, Connecticut, at the towering Frank Pepe's Pizzeria and Sally's Apizza..
  7. News: New Haven Pizza Named Best In America . CBS New York . October 22, 2013 . November 8, 2015 . November 10, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151110014836/http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/22/new-haven-pizza-named-best-in-america/ . live .
  8. Web site: Apizza, Tomato Pie. Eat Your World. 2017-12-10. 2012-11-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20121101234835/https://eatyourworld.com/destinations/united_states/connecticut/new_haven/what_to_eat/apizza_tomato_pie. live.
  9. News: What is apizza? And how is it different from regular pizza? . . Katelyn Umholtz . October 2, 2023 .
  10. Book: Penny . Pollack . Jeff . Ruby . 2005 . Everybody Loves Pizza: The Deep Dish on America's Favorite Food . Clerisy Press . 978-1-57860-218-6 . 26.
  11. The 13 Most Influential Pizzas of All Time . Time . 2019-10-14 . 2020-08-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200805090721/https://time.com/68654/the-13-most-influential-pizzas-of-all-time/ . live .
  12. News: Nierenberg . Amelia . Can New Haven’s Legendary Pizza Joints Play on the National Stage? . 1 January 2024 . The New York Times . 1 January 2024 . Technically, the dish that people in New Haven and beyond are so crazy about isn’t pizza. It’s “apizza,” pronounced “ah-beetz.” That’s direct from Naples: The recipes, and the name in dialect, came over with immigrants beginning in the 19th century..
  13. Book: Levine, Ed . Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making & Eating Delicious Food Wherever You Are . 2011 . Random House Digital, Inc. . 978-0307720870 . 99–100 . November 29, 2012 . April 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230420165017/https://books.google.com/books?id=E8vhbo4so_0C&q=Greek+style+pizza&pg=PA99 . live .
  14. Web site: New Haven Style Pizza map. 16 January 2023 .
  15. Web site: Pizza: A Love Story . 2022-03-07 . 2022-03-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220307021637/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5306490/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 . live .

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