Square Box, Round Pizza, Triangular Slices?
You’ve probably never thought about it until now…
We know that a pizza is round and popular across the world; especially Italy, and that they taste AMAZING. But every time we order one, we always seem to overlook the innocuous details; that they are always a different shape from when it arrives in the box, and when it reaches your mouth.
Been wondering why? Here’s why.
The roots of pizzas go way back to 600 B.C. in the settlements of Naples. At the time, Naples was a waterfront city that was populated by a vast middle class of “lazzaroni”, or the working poor. They were unable to afford expensive ingredients to which their wealthier counterparts had no problem getting access too. This created the need for something hearty yet inexpensive, hence the pizza — flatbread with a variety of toppings was born.
Surprisingly, the pizza was still an obscure dish in most parts of Italy other than Naples itself, and It wasn’t until the early to middle of the 20th century that the pizza started to gain both local and worldwide popularity. During the 1940s, European immigrants heading to the United States for factory jobs were a ubiquitous sight and as a result, they brought along their culinary knowledge of making pizzas. Soon, the aromas and flavours of the dish started to intrigue both Italians and non-Italians alike. In 1905, the first pizzeria named Gennaro Lombardi set up shop on Spring Street in Manhattan and the rest they say was history.
If you’ve ever wondered why pizzas are round, that’s because pizzas are spun in the air and this spinning motion is the most efficient method as it takes advantage of centrifugal forces to stretch the dough outwards, giving its characteristic shape. Other reasons include convenience and geometry; because it is easier to press them into a circular shape and that a circular shape provides the most surface area in contrast to others.
When it comes to storing pizzas, a square shape is preferred simply because straight edges are much easier to work with, which makes them cheaper to produce. Boxes are made from corrugated cardboard which provides the rigidity and support while having small circular cutouts on the side that ensures the temperature and humidity inside the box are regulated. Papers of varying thicknesses and grammage such as E flute and the thicker B flute used to ensure that the boxes are stackable.
Now when it comes to eating them, you may have noticed that pizza slices are always eaten in triangles. Practically, that’s the best way to ensure all slices are equal in size and their portion of toppings. Cutting them in squares or other methods may cause an uneven spread which may not let you get the most out of it and also if you’re just feeling a little lazy to put it in the effort.
However, mathematicians Joel Haddley and Stephen Worsley from the University of Liverpool applied the concept of monohedral disc tiling to create an “endless” supply of pizza slices; an inner group with crusts and an outer group without.
Turns out there was more to pizza than meets the eye. Either way, to each their own right?
