There are many different ways that pizza is consumed across the globe aside from pulling it off in wedges and biting the pointy end first.
In this article, we’ll explore how pizza is eaten in its birthplace Naples, Italy, and then go over the right ways to eat pizzas in different situations.
How is pizza eaten in its birth country Italy?
In its birth country, pizza is eaten in a variety of ways and one of the most surprising is using a fork and knife.
Yes you heard that correctly, pizza is eaten with a fork and knife in Naples Italy.
But why is this so? Why is pizza eaten this way when it could easily be sliced up into wedges and enjoyed peacefully?
The answer is simple.
It is because the Neapolitan style pizza, which is the most dominant pizza you’ll find in the city of Naples, is quite different from any other pizza out there.
Neapolitan pizza is characterised by a thin crust that can barely support the weight of toppings placed on it when lifted, which makes it a very tricky task to lift up slices and consume them the way normal pizzas are consumed.
Another factor that counts is that Neapolitan pizza is made “wet”, which makes it difficult to slice up without having the toppings run off the seams created.
Also, pizza made that wet would be too hot to pick in the form of wedges by hand and so it’s better to take slices using a fork and knife and then finish it off that way or using bare hands.
Now the fork and knife method isn’t the only way that pizza is consumed in Italy.
Another technique is to have the pizza cut into wedges using a pizza cutter, then fold each quarter in half lengthwise (more like creating a boat) and eat it that way.
This method would help prevent the wet topping on the Neapolitan pizza from sliding away when you pick it up.
You might think that is the farthest it can ever go with eating pizza, but wait till you learn another way that hardcore pizza eaters in Italy consume pizza.
They fold it into a wallet.
Here’s how they do it.
They start out with a full circle pizza, then fold the entire thing in half so it forms a semicircle, and then afterwards, they fold the semi circle in half to create a cone-like structure.
This is then sandwiched into the serving paper and consumed like shawarma.
This style of eating pizza is mostly common in the streets.
Is there an etiquette for eating pizza?
For times when you’re out in the open, eat pizzas that have a thin crust which cannot support its own weight and the weight of toppings on it in the following manner.
First make sure the pizza is cut into 4 quarters, then cut up any one out of the 4 quarters into three equally sized wedges.
Now fold any one of the outermost wedges over the middle wedge and then fold the other wedge over the two wedges to create a layer of three wedges.
This not only makes it possible for the pizza crust to support its weight now (which means you can consume it like you’d consume a hard crusted pizza), but then it brings so much denseness for a richer bite!
Imagine chomping down three layers of pizza toppings!
When consuming the pizza, begin by eating from the pointy end and make sure to have a napkin tied around your neck to catch any spillage which is more than likely to occur given how rich you’ve now made the pizza to become.
For pizzas having crusts that are able to support their own weight and the weight of topping on them, it’s not a bad idea if you decide to consume them by hand in the normal fashion, which is by tackling the pizza wedge after wedge.
If you’re eating pizza in a formal setting however (for some weird reason), then it would be best if you employ a fork and a knife just to cut the pizza into small sizes that won’t smear your face with pizza oil and end up making you look like a hungry nerd in a suit.
What foods should be eaten with hand and not fork?
The following food items are meant to be consumed with hand and not with fork and knife or in any other way.
Burgers
A burger is completely designed to be consumed by hand and not with any other utensil.
The top bun is meant to be pressed just firmly using the index, middle and ring fingers so the fillings are intact and not on the verge of bulging, whereas the bottom is meant to be held firmly in place using the thumb and pinky.
So don’t go otherwise with burgers.
If anything, a fork and a knife will present you with a difficult time!
Shawarma
Trust me, you’ll never enjoy shawarma or any other wrapped food (for instance tacos) when you decide to act “intelligent” and eat it with a fork and knife. The food literally screams to be held by hand and consumed in several follow up chunks.
Kebab
The meat in kebab is pierced into the stick for a reason, don’t beat yourself by throwing them on a plate and treating them with a fork and knife.
Ribs
The fact the ribs have bones in them makes them a big no to eat with a fork and knife.
Do so and you’ll end up with a pant wet from meat sauce, and so much meat around the bones that your knife and fork won’t do justice to.
So do yourself a favour, grab the meat by the bone and chomp on it like a champ!
What foods should be eaten with a spoon or fork and not by hand?
1. Soup: How in the world would you even eat soup with your hands?
2. Desserts: In a formal setting, always eat desserts with a fork or spoon!
3. Rice
4. Meat
