Being from New York City, my default setting when it comes to pizza is “snobby”. It’s an awful stance, I know, but I’ve honestly yet to have a foreign slice that’s satisfied me the way a NY one does. (I’ve chowed down in Italy, snacked on Chicago’s deep dish, and even had the alleged “best pie in America”.)
That’s not to say I don’t appreciate other recipes. In fact, when it comes down to it, I’ll take pizza — no matter it’s geographic origin — over most any meal offered. Pizza as a general concept is just that amazing to me. Once I’ve taken my first bite, geopolitical concerns are pretty much an afterthought.
In a new video, the folks at the American Chemical Society have attempted to break down pizza’s delicious “X factor” using science. “Whether it’s a plain cheese, a deep-dish stacked with meats or a thin-crust veggie delight, there’s just something about pizza that makes it delicious,” its accompanying description explains. “There’s a lot of chemistry that goes into everything from dough to sauce to toppings to, of course, cheese.” The clip points to something called the “Maillard Reaction” — which Wikipedia defines as “a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars” — as the reason for why pizza is able to elicit literal mouth orgasms.
As a side note: What’s your favorite pizza formula? Thin crust? Fresh tomatoes? Ricotta cheese?