12 Types of Pizza Around the World: From Neapolitan to Detroit Style

Pizza is a dish that seemingly everyone in the whole world loves. You can find different types of pizza around the world, but, as most people know, pizza originates in Italy. Nowadays, tremendous variation exists in pizza between different countries and regions of the world, to the point where some types of pizza look wildly different from those of Italian origin. In this post, I want to talk about 12 authentic styles of pizza that have emerged around the world, as well as the different types of pizza that you’ll find in Italy. So, keep reading this post if you want to discover the different types of pizza, from Italy to right here in Canada!

Italy

Italy is the birthplace of pizza, and pizza actually originates from focaccia. Focaccia is a type of Italian bread, onto which at some point Italians started putting tomato sauce, which eventually gave rise to pizza. The most famous type of Italian pizza today is Neapolitan style pizza.

Neapolitan Pizza (Pizza Napoletana)

Neapolitan style pizza originates in Naples, and this pizza is characterized by its soft and thin dough, its delicious San Marzano tomato sauce, its buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. Additional toppings like meat and other vegetables may also be added, but there are generally specific types of Neapolitan style pizza with predetermined combinations of toppings. This style of pizza is also baked at specific temperatures and durations, so you need a really hot oven, usually a fire oven, that reaches up to a thousand degrees. This allows the pizzas to be cooked for just a minute or two.

I had the opportunity to visit Naples, and prior to visiting, I wasn’t sure if Neapolitan style pizza was my favourite in the world. I mean, I’ve been to New York, and there’s some really incredible pizza in New York. I’ve also had some incredible pizza in Canada, but ultimately, I think Neapolitan style might be my favorite after visiting Naples! The flavour there is just different, I think that it comes down to the ingredients that they use in Italy being incredibly high quality, along with the quality control of the Neapolitan style pizza. Also, just the fact that restaurants have to get a certification that it’s being prepared a specific way and that the craft has been mastered there for so many generations. I truly haven’t had Neapolitan style pizza anywhere in the world that’s even remotely as close to the ones I had in Naples in quality.

Roman Pizza (Pizza al taglio)

A style of pizza that is a little bit less well known throughout the world, that originates in Italy, is Roman style pizza. Roman style pizza is very different from Neapolitan style pizza, including that the pizza is rectangular and is sliced, then served by weight. The crust is also much thicker and is more like focaccia compared to the super thin Neapolitan style dough.

While I don’t like Roman style pizza as much as Neapolitan style pizza, I really respect how much they experiment with the ingredients. In Rome, you can find any number of vegetables on top of the pizza as well as different kinds of meats. For example, I had a pizza that had tripe (cow stomach) on it, and while it was not my favourite, it was a really unique experience. In general, these thicker, sort of bready-like slices of pizza with their funky toppings are a really cool and unique pizza style that you definitely cannot miss if you visit Italy!

Sicilian Pizza (Sfincione)

I’ve tried Sicilian style pizza in Canada, but sadly I’ve never been to Sicily, so I can’t comment on how this style of pizza is served in Sicily. But in Canada, I found that I absolutely love Canadian-Sicilian style pizza! In Canada, It is generally served with a thicker, spongy, crust, a generous layer of sauce, and little to no cheese on top. This is the Americanized version of this dish, being adapted from a specific style of Sicilian “pizza” called Sfincione. Fundamentally, this pizza consists of a spongy bread like dough (sfincione loosely translates to “thick sponge”), tomato sauce, and onions. Anchovies are apparently often added as well, and cheese may or may not be added. I suppose in the Americanized version it was the rectangular shape, thick and spongy crust, and focus on tomato sauce as the main topping being adapted, with additional ingredients being added on top to suit American tastes. I think I would undoubtedly enjoy the traditional Sicilian sfincione, so I cannot wait to try that, but in the meantime I am satisfied having the amazing Americanized version of this dish here in Canada!

Fried Pizza (Pizza fritta)

A final Italian style of pizza I want to mention that I thought was very strange when I visited Naples is fried pizza. In Naples, all across the city, you’ll see shops that sell essentially deep-fried whole pizzas, and it seems to be quite popular, with some restaurants actually saying that they specialize in or recommend this style of pizza. This style of pizza is apparently comparatively newer compared to the other types of Italian pizza I have mentioned, arising from the convenient method of cooking in a deep fryer if you don’t have an oven (for example as a street food vendor). I had the opportunity to try it, and I personally wasn’t the biggest fan. I’m not entirely sure why this became so popular, but it does have kind of a unique texture, and obviously the pizza is going to be a little bit different when it’s deep-fried, but personally after trying it I just stuck to the regular Neapolitan style pizzas after that.

North America

New York Style Pizza

The USA is undoubtedly the second most famous country in the world when it comes to pizza. This is largely due to the influence that New York style pizza has had on the pizza world. New York style pizza is characterized by its thin, floppy texture, and it was developed by Italian immigrants in New York City (NYC). This new style differed from Italy in that the texture of the dough was different, it’s often served by the slice at shops, and the cheese on top is low moisture grated mozzarella cheese. This difference in dough texture arises from the fact that higher gluten flour is used, allowing for more elasticity, and the flavour is also thought to be different due to the unique flavour of NYC’s tap water. In fact, some pizza shops outside of NYC import the tap water to maintain authenticity! There’s also usually not an overabundance of tomato sauce and anecdotally I would say it tastes quite different from the tomato sauce I had in Italy.

I have tried my fair share of New York style pizza and I actually recorded a NYC pizza food tour, going to some of the most famous spots when I was visiting. From this experience I can confidently say that I am a huge fan of this style of pizza! If I lived in NYC, I think I would probably grab a slice every single day. The texture, flavor and slight greasiness of it is super addictive, and it kind of feels a little bit less healthy compared to the Italian pizzas, but not so unhealthy that it’s a turnoff. So it kind of strikes this perfect balance between not being too heavy, while also kind of having this junk food sort of appeal to it. I think that if someone prefers New York style pizza to Neapolitan style pizza, I completely understand, because it is also incredible in its own respect.

Detroit Style Pizza

Detroit style pizza is another interesting style of pizza that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA, and this style of pizza is famous for being quite greasy and heavy. This pizza is prepared in a deep dish with oil, thus being a type of deep dish pizza. This allows the pizza to be thick, and sort of have crispy edges due to the oil essentially frying the sides of the pizza and caramelizing the cheese, while the middle stays soft and springy due to the high water content and double proofed dough. The choice of cheese is also interesting, as traditionally this style of pizza uses Wisconsin Brick cheese. I haven’t tried a Detroit style pizza in Detroit before, but one of my favorite restaurants in Montreal, Welldun Pizza, serves Detroit style slices. I got to try this style here, and I don’t know how authentic it is but it is pretty incredible. I personally am not the biggest fan of super greasy foods, but I completely understand the appeal of Detroit style pizza after trying it. The satisfaction of eating a really thick, juicy, and sauced up slice of pizza is really satisfying. If you’re someone who is always adding extra sauce on top of their pizza, or you like thick dough that isn’t dry, then I definitely think you’ll like Detroit style pizza.

Chicago Style Pizza

Chicago style pizza appears to share some similarities to Detroit style pizza with an even more prominent raised crust cooked deep dish style. I personally haven’t had the pleasure of trying Chicago style pizza, but from my understanding some key differences include the fact that Chicago style pizza is round in comparison to rectangular Detroit style pizza, it uses mozzarella cheese, the tomato sauce can be chunky and the crust is more crumbly/flaky. There can also apparently be a lot more tomato sauce in cheese, in fact I have actually heard people make jokes about the ridiculous amounts of tomato sauce used in this style of pizza. Chicago style pizza probably tops my list of styles of pizza I want to try, and I hope to visit Chicago someday to try it from the source!

Donair Pizza

In Canada we have a pretty unique style of pizza called donair pizza. Donair pizza differs from other pizzas in the fact that it is topped with donair meat. Donair meat is a variation of Turkish donor meat that is used to prepare donair in Canada, which is similar to shawarma with slight differences and the option of adding a signature sweet sauce. Donair is a Canadian concoction that was developed by a Greek man who was trying to increase the appeal of his gyros, so he called them donors and added a sweet sauce to cater to the sweet Canadian palate. In the end, people started calling it donair, hence the name donair.

This style of pizza is typically prepared by Middle Eastern and Mediterranean immigrants here in Canada, and there’s entire chains nowadays that serve this style of pizza specifically. Aside from having the donair meat and the sweet sauce as the sauce of the pizza and the donair meat on top, the pizza is usually just accompanied by a uniform layer of melted cheese and sometimes tomatoes and onions. If you want to try something super unique, definitely give donair pizza a try, and check out my post on Seniore’s Pizza, the restaurant I think is serving up the best donair pizza in Calgary!

Greek Style Pizza

In Canada, I’ve also had the pleasure of trying Greek-style pizza. Greek-style pizza is apparently also an east-coast American creation, being a pan pizza, so similar to Chicago style or Detroit style pizza. Where it differs is that the dough isn’t raised as much and the sauce is minimal. It is still quite heavy though as, with the other pan pizza styles, oil is used to coat the pan. One of my favourite restaurants in Calgary, A Pizza Plus, serves Greek-style pizza and they have a feta cheese and spinach pizza that is one of my favourite pizzas of all time. The texture of the dough is incredible, they load it up with feta cheese, which gives it a perfect flavour because you get the savouriness and saltiness of feta cheese that you don’t get with mozzarella and the spinach pairs perfectly with the feta. I think that this style of pizza is amazing, and generally pretty underrated, so if you see a Greek-style pizza restaurant, definitely take note!

New Haven Style Pizza

This pizza is found in New Haven, Connecticut, which is quite close to New York City, and as such I had the opportunity to try it since I would drive from Montreal to New York City! While driving back through New Haven from New York I stopped at a famous New Haven style pizza establishment called Sally’s Apizza. “Apizza” is what pizza is locally referred to as in New Haven. This style of pizza is characterized by its relatively this and crispy crunch and focus on tomato sauce. In fact, classic New Haven style pizza is just pizza dough and tomato sauce with some parmesan cheese, but no mozzarella. They also serve pizzas with mozzarella cheese as well as a variety of toppings, including seafood like anchovies and shrimp which makes sense given the popularity of seafood in the East-coast USA. While I wasn’t necessarily blown away by the pizza here it was definitely unique and fun to try so if you ever find yourself in the area I would highly recommend trying it, specifically at Sally’s Apizza which was a great spot!

Rest of the World

Tokyo

A city where I recently did a pizza food tour is Tokyo. This might come as a surprise to some people, but Tokyo actually has a high number of pizza restaurants rated in the top pizza restaurants in the world, which is really interesting. In general, you’ll notice when you visit Japan and South Korea that people really enjoy Italian food, so naturally there’s a lot of Italian food. The pizza in Tokyo is particularly well known though, and during my food tour there I did notice some differences between the Tokyo style pizza and the typical Italian style pizzas, namely Neapolitan style as my understanding is that this is what the stereotypical Tokyo style pizza is based off of.

One such difference is that the dough has this fluffy airiness to it, and isn’t quite as thin as Neapolitan style pizza, but since it’s pretty airy and light it creates this texture that is really pleasant in your mouth. They also have some really interesting toppings! I went to one of the more popular pizza restaurants in Tokyo, called Savoy, and they had a Ozaki beef pizza that was topped with a particular kind of wagyu beef (termed Ozaki beef after the farmer that manages the farm that produces the beef), and I typically don’t enjoy getting beef on pizza but this was absolutely mind-blowing. The beef was cooked perfectly, the sauce and cheese tasted incredible, and it paired so well with the more traditional pseudo-Neapolitan style pizza.

Another thing to note about pizza in Tokyo is that other restaurants, which serve less traditional types of pizza, have a variety of different types of pizza sauces. For example, I saw multiple restaurants that had mayonnaise sauce as a pizza sauce option, which is pretty incredible and very surprising. One restaurant that I went to called Pepper’s Cafe in the Tsukiji Fish Market, had the option of mayonnaise pizza and squid ink pizza. This is an interesting concept that I wasn’t at all familiar with, and I personally really am not the biggest fan of mayonnaise, so I did not try a pizza with mayonnaise sauce while I was there, but maybe next time I visit I will because it definitely piqued my curiosity. In Tokyo you’ll find some really delicious twists on pseudo-Neapolitan-style pizza, while also finding these cool funky pizza variations throughout the city.

Desi Pizza

I obviously have to mention South Asia in this post, where pizza is incredibly popular. In fact, American food or American-style food is super popular in Pakistan, especially amongst young people. What’s really cool is that pretty much all of these American dishes are given their own unique Pakistani twist, and one of those twists is desi pizza, which has become so popular that you can actually find desi pizza spots all across Canada! I tried two in Montreal, and I recently tried one in Vancouver, and they’ve all been super tasty. To give an idea of what desi style pizza is like, it is more similar to American-style pizza, you can think of desi-style pizza dough and just the general structure to be kind of similar to Pizza Hut. Maybe that makes sense because when I was going up in Pakistan I remember Pizza Hut being super popular, so perhaps local pizza spots started mimicking Pizza Hut and putting their own unique twist on the flavours of the pizza. This is purely anecdotal but I think there could be a connection there.

What’s cool about desi-style pizza is that the pizza is prepared based on the flavours of South Asian dishes. For example, you might see a butter chicken pizza, or you might see a keema (South Asian ground meat) pizza, or you could see a tandoori chicken pizza. There are so many of these fun South Asian twists on the pizza, and I really like it because they usually go pretty heavy on all of the toppings and sauce. That combination of loaded up toppings and South Asian flavours makes for something pretty special in my opinion. It seems like a lot of people haven’t tried desi style pizza yet, and that it’s still mostly limited to South Asian people as a niche, so if you haven’t tried it, I definitely recommend going out and trying desi-style pizza!

Different Types of Pizza Around the World

That is a little overview of the different types of pizza that you can find throughout the world! If you live in Canada, you can luckily find pretty decent versions of all of these types of pizzas, which is a tremendous blessing because they all taste so good. So if you’re in Canada and you typically go for pizza by the slice or Neapolitan-style pizza, I highly recommend trying to seek out each of these styles of pizza if you’re in a major city. Who knows, you might find a new favourite! My personal favourites are probably Neapolitan style pizza, New York style pizza, and Desi pizza.

Thank you for checking out this blog post! If you enjoyed it, please check out my other blog posts including a couple of blog posts on some of my favourite pizza spots in Calgary, and definitely make sure to check out my Tokyo pizza food tour and my New York City pizza food tour on YouTube. If you enjoy my content, also make sure to follow me on all of my social media platforms!