NY pizzas vs everywhere else

[Retrograde]

I mentioned this in a what's for dinner post but didn't get any replies.

What is it about New York pizzas that makes them so different? I think it's the sauce - it smells different than sauces in other parts of the country, something you can notice when you walk into a pizzeria. It seems there's a herb or mix of herbs that I can't quite put my finger on. Possibly fennel, but I put fennel seeds in my sauces and they don't taste the same. The tomatoes? I've experimented with a wide range of canned tomatoes, from the cheapest Safeway brand to imported San Marzano, and it still doesn't come close. Same with adding or omitting vinegar. Any clues as to what gives NY pizzas their distinct taste? It's not NYC water, since I've had similar ones throughout the state, and it's not the presence or absence of a wood-fired oven.

[RockRaven]

1. You could probably spend the rest of your life watching Youtube videos

about NYC pizza/recipes and still not have a definitive answer. There are A LOT of them, and they don't all agree.

[Drum]

2. Here's a primer:

?feature=shared

[Old Crank]

7. A classic rant.

Beatiful all the way through

[BigmanPigman]

3. I just Googled Anthony Bourdain's favorite

NY pizza in NYC. The place is called Di Farra's Pizza.

http://pizzatherapy.com/difaraspizza.htm#:~:text=The%20dough%20is%20made%20with,is%20straight%20from%20the%20vine.

"The sauce, the crust, the toppings: ... Dom Demarco" uses "the freshest and finest ingredients. He imports mozzarella di buffala from his hometown in Italy, makes a bright sauce daily from a mixture of fresh and canned San Marzano tomatoes, and balances ratios of crust, cheese, and sauce perfectly."

"Pizza at Di Fara is so fresh and tasty. The dough is made with imported Italian flour, he uses not one but three cheeses (buffalo mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padana, and freshly-made sauce created from plum tomatoes and he grows himself. The parmagion cheese is straight from the cheese grater and the basil is straight from the vine. It's great pizza, luscious cheeses, dripping with olive oil, and if you are lucky dotted with artichokes. The pie is fantastic: all ingredients are fresh, crust is thin and juicy! The biggest problem is finding parking space."

NY pizza is very different from Sicily, Naples, and Chicago pizzas.

[Old Crank]

8. It might be just a classic marinara sauce.

Italian alla marinara is very simple.
Olive oil. heated, thin sliced galic cooked to crisp then removed, plum tomatoes crushed in the pan, then topped with a good sprig or two of basil, Perhaps a little oregano and a quick gring or two of black pepper.
Cook down just a bit.
that is it.

[japple]

4. That spice or herb might be fennel or anise. I find that just a touch of crushed or ground

fennel, plus a good sprinkling of red pepper flakes makes a huge difference. Not too much of either, though.

[mitch96]

5. I heard it was just a pinch of sugar. not enough to make the sauce sweet but to effect a change the flavor.

But only deep brown turbinado sugar from deep in the jungles of ****** harvested by master "machetenistas" on ripe cane facing the morning sun on alternating full moon thursdays


Have you ever noticed every ingredient has to have a fascinating and interesting story?
m

[mitch96]

6. And then there is Detroit style pizza. nt