# Males vs Females: Do you eat pizza with a fork and a knife, or with your hands? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 23, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139 "2013-01-23T19:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/41 "2013-01-23T21:53:14Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > What are you calling the Northeast? One of the other states usually included in the designation “northeast.” ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/42 "2013-01-23T21:57:49Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Look at the Daily Show clip I posted in post 6. It’s funny. The outrage isn’t exactly real. > > And it was in NYC but at a crappy chain. It wasn’t real? I saw it going on at quite a few places, not the Daily Show. Was that just people jumping on the meme or something? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/43 "2013-01-23T22:07:23Z")
So far, men\* are running about 7:1 in favor of hands. Women\* are at 10:1. So much for gender stereotypes. 😛 I’m a woman who has never in her life taken silverware to pizza. The very idea! In fact, I didn’t know that anyone actually did that; I always assumed it was a joke. I make lots of round, flat pizza at home from scratch and bake it naked on a stone. Except when I make my grandmother’s recipe for old-country Sicilian pizza in a rectangular pan, and that is properly sliced into rectangles and is best served at room temperature. Every time we visited Nonna when I was growing up, she had platters set out for us heaped with the old-country-style Sicilian pizza that is unknown in American pizzerias, and is quite different from American versions (and that includes America’s so-called Sicilian pizzas). Always at room temperature. Regardless, all of the types of pizza I ever eat, whether homemade or from a pizzeria, are properly eaten with the hands. If your za is so gloppy and messy that you feel the need for silverware, it’s been done wrong, is all I can say. My Nonna’s old-country pizza did not let you forget that is is essentially _bread_: she made thick sheets of bread with very modest amounts of thinly spread toppings. Americans love to exaggerate things to excess. \*It’s very obnoxious to call someone “a male” or “a female” as if they’re laboratory specimens. People are _men_ and _women_. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/44 "2013-01-23T22:07:32Z")
No pick, because it depends. If the constitution of the pizza is such that I can eat it with my hands without it flopping all over, then I do so. Otherwise, out comes the cutlery. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/45 "2013-01-23T22:22:05Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Every time we visited Nonna when I was growing up, she had platters set out for us heaped with the old-country-style Sicilian pizza that is unknown in American pizzerias, and is quite different from American versions (and that includes America’s so-called Sicilian pizzas). There’s something that wasn’t common in neighborhood pizzerias when I was a kid, but is now, called “Grandma style” (or rarely, “nonna style”). Pizza grandma style is made in a rectangle and cut into 6 (like a half-sheet sicillian) and is thicker than your standard NYC slice, but not as thick as Sicillian. The cheese goes on first, then a dollop of sauce which doesn’t cover the whole top homogeneously - it’s literally a dollop. I understood this style to imitate what you get at your grandma’s if you’re Sicillian, but I’m curious to know if it actually reflects that (for you at least). ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/46 "2013-01-23T22:26:21Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Most often we have frozen pizzas at home (Delissio a.k.a. DiGiorno), and it’s too hot and/or floppy and/or sloppy when it’s right out of the oven, so I use a fork (no knife). Once it cools down a bit, I use my hands. Yep, for DiGiorno I use a fork and knife till it cools down, and then hands. For pizza that’s foldable, with hands, either one piece folded, or the “two pieces as a sandwich” method above. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/47 "2013-01-23T22:37:57Z")
Cutlery if it is too floppy or still too hot. Otherwise hands, usually folded to keep the toppings in place. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/48 "2013-01-23T23:13:45Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > One of the other states usually included in the designation “northeast.” Says you. Can’t be NJ since I know pizza other than Sicilian is round. Same with NY and at least the eastern portions of PA. Mass and ME have been heard from. Connecticut pretends to be the home of US pizza and pizza is round there too. Again except for Sicilian style. So which state are you talking about. Not asking for your address just the state. > [@Sevencl](#): > > It wasn’t real? I saw it going on at quite a few places, not the Daily Show. Was that just people jumping on the meme or something? It came from the Daily Show as you can see for yourself. Judge for yourself if the outrage is real. I think it’s about the same as when I firmly declare that Chicago style is not real pizza. I will go on and on about it and appear to be passionate but really it’s just good natured regional ribbing. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/49 "2013-01-23T23:17:19Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Connecticut pretends to be the home of US pizza and pizza is round there too. I never said the pizza here wasn’t round, but that it was cut in rectangles instead of pie wedges. If CT claims anything about pizza it’s nonsense; I have yet to have one anywhere here that I’d take over a Pizza Hut ten-dollar special back in CA. Soft gooey crust topped with gooey toppings cut into squares like lasagna seems to be the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Sevencl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sevencl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sevencl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/50 "2013-01-23T23:18:24Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It came from the Daily Show as you can see for yourself. Judge for yourself if the outrage is real. I think it’s about the same as when I firmly declare that Chicago style is not real pizza. I will go on and on about it and appear to be passionate but really it’s just good natured regional ribbing. > **[Google Search](https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=50&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=&source=hp&q=donald%2Btrump%2Bpizza%2Bfork&oq=donald%2Btrump%2Bpizza%2Bfork)** Yeah, it seemed pretty real to me, especially since I hadn’t heard of it originating on the daily show at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/51 "2013-01-23T23:20:24Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > There’s something that wasn’t common in neighborhood pizzerias when I was a kid, but is now, called “Grandma style” (or rarely, “nonna style”). Pizza grandma style is made in a rectangle and cut into 6 (like a half-sheet sicillian) and is thicker than your standard NYC slice, but not as thick as Sicillian. The cheese goes on first, then a dollop of sauce which doesn’t cover the whole top homogeneously - it’s literally a dollop. > > I understood this style to imitate what you get at your grandma’s if you’re Sicillian, but I’m curious to know if it actually reflects that (for you at least). Grandma style is really a resurgence of the original or at least one of the original styles of pizza, Pizza Margherita. Tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. I’ve seen it on a square Sicilian pan or round. You are right, it wasn’t really around when I was growing up except in specialty shops. Now it’s everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/52 "2013-01-23T23:20:52Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > I understood this style to imitate what you get at your grandma’s if you’re Sicillian, but I’m curious to know if it actually reflects that (for you at least). I hesitate to give away treasured family recipe secrets, but OK, since you asked. Nonna put exactly 4 ingredients for topping: a little onion, finely chopped and sautéed in olive oil, went on first. Then a _very modest_ amount of grated mozzarella. Then a _very modest_ amount of her simple homemade tomato sauce (made from tomatoes only), spread thinly but evenly, and a little sprinkle of oregano. The sautéed onion is the secret to that old-world Sicilian taste. Also, her homemade dough was dense and thick, and baked so that it developed nice big bubbles. I’m still working on learning that last detail. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/53 "2013-01-23T23:22:53Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > The northeast of _what_? > > I’ve been in Boston for 31 years, and I’ve only seen one place that cuts it into squares\*. And they’ve stopped. > > \*Does not apply to Sicilian. I can think of two places south of Boston that cut pizza into squares. Course, I was a little kid at the time and can’t remember the names. I want to say one of them was the TipTop Cafe. But yeah, it’s not a wide-spread custom by any means. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/54 "2013-01-23T23:26:10Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Grandma style is really a resurgence of the original or at least one of the original styles of pizza, Pizza Margherita. Tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. I’ve seen it on a square Sicilian pan or round. You are right, it wasn’t really around when I was growing up except in specialty shops. Now it’s everywhere. Margherita is nothing at all like what my grandmother made. Margherita is a classically Neapolitan style. It’s very, very good, but it isn’t my grandmother’s. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/55 "2013-01-23T23:37:24Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > I never said the pizza here wasn’t round, but that it was cut in rectangles instead of pie wedges. If CT claims anything about pizza it’s nonsense; I have yet to have one anywhere here that I’d take over a Pizza Hut ten-dollar special back in CA. Soft gooey crust topped with gooey toppings cut into squares like lasagna seems to be the norm. The way I understand it Frank Pepe learned how to make pizza from one of the first people who brought it over to NYC. He opened his own place in New Haven and some how they think they invented it. I have never seen it cut into squares but I’ll take your word for it. > [@Johanna](#): > > Margherita is nothing at all like what my grandmother made. Margherita is a classically Neapolitan style. It’s very, very good, but it isn’t my grandmother’s. I have never met your grandmother. I was referring to what restaurants call grandma pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/56 "2013-01-23T23:42:55Z")
> [@Sevencl](#): > > [Google Search](https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=50&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=&source=hp&q=donald+trump+pizza+fork&oq=donald+trump+pizza+fork) > > Yeah, it seemed pretty real to me, especially since I hadn’t heard of it originating on the daily show at the time. Browsing through the links there it all seems pretty tongue in cheek and most reference the Daily Show. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/57 "2013-01-24T00:30:28Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Grandma style is really a resurgence of the original or at least one of the original styles of pizza, Pizza Margherita. Tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil. I’ve seen it on a square Sicilian pan or round. You are right, it wasn’t really around when I was growing up except in specialty shops. Now it’s everywhere. Grandma style isn’t anything like a magherita with (usually sliced) fresh mozz and fresh basil (also now commonly seen in pizzerias). It’s a lot like what **Johanna** describes IF its well made. If not, it’s like Sicillian’s crappy little cousin. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/58 "2013-01-24T00:44:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > The original Shakey’s Pizza was in Sacramento. I owe it my very existence. I miss that place! We used to go there in college all the time. I’m wistful every time I drive past the old building. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/59 "2013-01-24T02:20:21Z")
I voted Male, Hands. Unless it’s Chicago deep dish, like Giordano’s. I almost choked on all of the gooey cheese. But Pizz’a Chicago and Uno’s here in the SF Bay Area, I’ll eat with my hands. _ **P.S. - Go 49ers!** _ ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2013, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139/60 "2013-01-24T02:30:45Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > \*It’s very obnoxious to call someone “a male” or “a female” as if they’re laboratory specimens. People are _men_ and _women_. Be that as is it may, that is not a true statement. There is a very small and vocal minority of people on this board that are obsessed with sex and gender terms but it doesn’t apply to most of us. This board has a minimum age requirement of 13 and I don’t think it is appropriate to call someone a man or woman at that age. I know I didn’t want to be called either a ‘man’ or ‘boy’ at that age. ‘Male’ or ‘female’ are the unambiguous and inclusive terms regardless of whatever biases or personal issues someone may have. I am not sure why the poll is broken down that way because the results have worked out evenly but that is separate issue. ‘Male’ and ‘Female’ are perfectly fine terms for the vast majority of people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/males-vs-females-do-you-eat-pizza-with-a-fork-and-a-knife-or-with-your-hands/648139.md?page=4)