Pizza and calzone are two Italian dishes that share many similarities. Both are made with the same dough, cheese, sauce, and toppings. But they’re not the same thing. The way they are shaped, cooked, and eaten makes them very different foods.
What is the difference between pizza and calzone? Pizza is the classic flat, open dish with various toppings, while a calzone is a folded, sealed pocket that holds all the ingredients inside.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Pizza
– Definition, Features
2. What is Calzone
– Definition, Features
3. Similarities Between Pizza and Calzone
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Pizza and Calzone
– Comparison of Key Differences
5. FAQ: Pizza and Calzone
– Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Key Terms
Calzone, Pizza
What is Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish that started in Naples. It is made from a flat, round base of dough, usually made with flour, water, yeast, salt, and oil. This dough is topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and other ingredients, then baked at a very high temperature, often in a traditional wood-fired oven.
Basically, pizza has three main parts:
1. The crust – the bread base, which can be thin, thick, gluten-free, whole wheat, or even made from cauliflower.
2. The sauce – usually tomato-based, but some pizzas use white sauce, pesto, or even no sauce at all.
3. The toppings – cheese is the most common topping, especially mozzarella, but people also add ingredients like pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onions, sausage, peppers, and more.
The modern style of pizza was created in Naples, and the word “pizza” was first recorded as far back as the year 997 in Italy. Today, Neapolitan pizza is so important to Italian culture that it is officially protected by the European Union and even recognized by UNESCO as part of world heritage.
Pizza can be eaten in many ways. In Italy, it is often served whole and eaten with a knife and fork. In other countries, it is usually sliced and eaten with your hands. It can be ordered at restaurants, delivered to your home, bought frozen at stores, or even made from scratch in your own kitchen.
What is Calzone
A calzone is an Italian dish that looks like a folded pizza. It was created in Naples, Italy in the 18th century. A calzone starts with pizza dough, but instead of staying flat like a regular pizza, the dough is filled, folded in half, and sealed into a half-moon shape. This traps all the toppings inside. Calzones are usually baked in an oven, but smaller ones can be fried in oil, especially in some Italian regions.
Traditional calzones are filled with cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sometimes cured meats such as ham or salami. Vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, or tomatoes may also be added. In the United States, calzones often include a mix of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
Because the toppings are sealed inside, a calzone stays soft and cheesy on the inside and golden and slightly crispy on the outside. Moreover, it is both popular as a takeaway or street-food style meal.
Similarities Between Pizza and Calzone
- Both pizza and calzone are made from the same type of dough, usually a wheat-based yeast dough.
- They have similar fillings or toppings, such as cheese, meats, vegetables, and tomato sauce.
- Both are Italian in origin and come from traditional Neapolitan cuisine.
Difference Between Pizza and Calzone
Definition
- Pizza is a flat, open-faced dish made from dough topped with sauce, cheese, and other ingredients, baked in an oven and usually served in slices. Calzone, on the other hand, is a folded pizza pocket made by filling dough with cheese, meats, or vegetables, sealing it shut, and baking or frying it until golden.
Shape
- A pizza is flat and open-faced, while a calzone is folded in half and fully sealed like a pocket.
Toppings vs. Fillings
- Pizza toppings sit on top of the crust, but calzone ingredients are stuffed inside the dough.
Cooking Method
- Pizza is almost always baked, but calzones can be baked or fried (especially smaller versions).
Serving Style
- Pizza is served in slices or whole rounds, while calzones are served as a single folded portion.
Texture
- Pizza has a crispy crust with melty toppings exposed, whereas calzones have a crispy outside but soft, steamy interior.
Traditional Ingredients
- Pizza allows many topping styles; calzones traditionally use cheeses like ricotta and mozzarella along with meats or vegetables inside.
Portion Size
- One pizza is often shared, whereas a calzone is generally a single-person meal.
FAQ: Pizza and Calzone
1. Is a calzone just a folded over pizza?
A calzone is like a folded pizza, but it’s not exactly the same. Instead of toppings on top, all the ingredients are sealed inside the dough like a pocket.
2. Is calzone healthier than pizza?
A calzone can be healthier if it has fewer toppings and less cheese, but many calzones are larger and contain more cheese and meat than a regular pizza slice.
3. Why is it called calzone pizza?
It’s called a calzone because the word means “trouser leg” or “stocking” in Italian, referring to how the dough is folded over and closed like a pocket. Since it uses pizza dough and pizza-style fillings, people sometimes call it “calzone pizza.”
4. Are pizza and calzone the same?
Pizza and calzone are not the same. Pizza is flat with toppings on top, while a calzone is folded and sealed like a stuffed pocket with the ingredients inside.
5. What is the difference between pizza and Roman pizza?
Roman pizza is usually thinner, crispier, and served in rectangular slices, while traditional pizza (like Neapolitan) is softer, round, and has a chewy crust with a puffed edge.
Reference:
1. “What is Pizza Made of?” WebMD.
2. “What is Calzone?” Prezzo.
Image Credit:
1. “Arugula on Pizza” (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Close-Up Shot of Delicious Calzone on a Plate” (CC0) via Pexels
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