Traditional Pizza, American Style
Would the majority of Americans try this “American style” pizza from Italy? Survey says…
Literature Review
This all started in the summer of ‘22 when I was doing a bit of solo traveling down the western coast of Italy. I was in the northwestern city of Genoa (or as we Italian wannabes call it, Genova). This is where I met Dalel, a Genova local. I was soaking up some sunshine in Piazza De Ferrari when a stranger approached me. She had a camera dangling from her neck and the warmest smile I’d encountered since I touched down In Rome weeks prior. She asked if she could take my photo for a recent project she had started that summer where she captured the everyday moments of strangers enjoying life around them. After this photo, Dalel and I began to chat and quickly became good pals, deciding to grab some pizza together later that evening.
It was then that I learned her secret.
Dalel spoke to the waiter placing our order (in Italian of course). I sat nodding along pretending I was also Italian, when in fact I could barely count past 10. Now keep this in mind, in Italy, pizza-size portions are made for only one person. Each person gets their own personal-sized pizza and you are not able to request half & half toppings or other customizations like you can in the States.
Our pizzas came out, SO piping hot that the steam was visible floating inches above. Upon closer inspection of her pizza, I saw there were french fries and…..sliced hot dogs on top. Now, as an American, I have eaten dozens of pizzas in my time, and even guilty of dipping my NY slice in ranch. I have no right to be a pizza prude, for goodness sake, my country invented Hawaiian pizza!!!
When I asked Dalel what was going on with her pizza, she looked across the table at me confused. & I thought to myself, wait am I supposed to know what this is? 😳👀
That’s when I found out what American style pizza is.
I have to admit, I thought it was absolutely hysterical. This is the representation of Americans in Italy. Part of me was flattered that in a land where they CREATED pizza, they had a nationally known style of pizza dedicated to what they assumed Americans ate on their pizza, AND IT WAS FRENCH FRIES AND CUT UP HOT DOGS!!! This pizza is apparently quite popular among Italian children. Dalel also shared with me that it’s looked down upon if you are an adult ordering the American style, that it’s supposed to be for children only.
I should note that I have never actually tried American style Italian pizza, although I would like to one day. I could pinch myself for having the opportunity literally sitting in front of me and not even trying one bite. But after all, Dalel and I were new friends and I didn’t want to seem too presumptuous. 😪
It’s worth noting that this pizza does not actually exist in America, so now I will have to wait until I make my way back to Italy. (Poor me, right? 😉)
Research Study
Fast forward to one year later. It’s summer of ‘23 and while Dalel and I are catching up over a video call she mentions she’s getting pizza for dinner. So of course, I ask, American style??? YUP. So naturally, I started to wonder, would Americans actually eat this “American“ pizza? Americans do eat a lot of strange stuff. Take Cheez Whiz for example, which I don’t even think it’s real cheese… 👀
So, I ask Dalel, “Should we create a survey using my Instagram to ask my American friends if they would indulge in this pizza?” Wanting to quench her curiosity as well as some validation for her tastebuds, she was game.
Dalel’s hypothesis: Americans would try this American style pizza.
Dalel’s boyfriend’s hypothesis: No one should eat this American style pizza.
With this question burning in our brains, we were pumped to finally get some answers. I post the below video on my Insta story. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Results
After 24 hours, the final results were in. With 39% responding “Yes” and 61% responding “No”, the final results indicated that in this sample size, over half of surveyed Americans would not eat this American style pizza.
Who knew the same people who invited ambrosia salad would be so against french fries and hot dogs on pizza? Apparently, sliced hot dogs are only for kraft mac-and-cheese. Who knew huh?
It should be noted that many voiced their opinions on the matter, and the Americans who would try this pizza expressed great enthusiasm about it. Overall, more individuals reached out to share their positive thoughts on the pizza, than the number of individuals who responded with concern over the toppings.
One respondee even noted what the rest of the world already thinks:
“We’re American… we’ll eat anything”
Standard Error
With all good research studies, it is important to note the limitations and standard error of the study.
Percentages could vary up to 5% as a few individuals who responded “No” were indeed not American and in fact European. This would make the percentage of Americans answering “Yes” a higher overall percentage and closer to a 50/50 split. Additionally, most respondents were from the New York State area and therefore generally have stronger opinions on pizza. I would be curious to see the results with a sample size from a different geographic area of the USA.
Sources
My Instagram story.
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Would YOU try this pizza? I would be curious to know your personal thoughts.
