# Salting pizza: Weird? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146 "2012-11-16T00:32:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neo-Calredic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/96bed5/32.png) [@Neo-Calredic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neo-Calredic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/1 "2012-11-16T00:32:59Z")
For as long as I can remember, I have always preferred salt on my pizza (though I admittedly prefer salt on a lot of things\*). For several decades, no one ever remarked on this, so I naturally assumed no one even thought twice about it. I certainly didn’t. In the last few years, however, I’ve run into more and more people who react to me putting salt on pizza as if I were squeezing out a tube of toothpaste on there – typically along the lines of “You put salt on your pizza? Really…?” followed by an incredulous stare. This may be something of a regional thing, as three years ago I moved from Illinois to California. Still, though, I recall some coworkers back in Illinois commenting on it too. Frankly, I don’t get it. Virtually every sit-down pizza place I’ve ever been to has salt shakers right there at the table, so surely it’s not _that_ strange. What do you all think – is salting one’s pizza weird or not? \*My blood pressure is perfect, thank you very much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/2 "2012-11-16T00:36:22Z")
As a data point I’ve never seen anybody else put salt on a pizza. However, there was the time I put a ton of parmesan cheese on a pizza slice. Then I discovered that wasn’t cheese, it was powered garlic 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/3 "2012-11-16T00:37:37Z")
I am a salt fan but typically find the toppings like pepperoni and sausage to provide enough salt. That said, I don’t think it’s weird. Parmesan cheese is pretty salty and that’s a common addition to pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/4 "2012-11-16T00:41:04Z")
I’ve never seen it either. I’m in Wisconsin. Even in a pizza place, I’d assume the salt was for fries or some something else on the menu, not the pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/5 "2012-11-16T00:41:23Z")
Kosher salt on pizza rocks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/6 "2012-11-16T00:43:02Z")
It probably already has a lot of salt in the sauce, cheese, and toppings, and even if it doesn’t, I can’t imagine that it would need more. And I’ve never seen anyone do it, so yes, it’s weird. That said, it’s your pizza, you can do what you like with it. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/7 "2012-11-16T00:46:38Z")
I’ve never seen anyone do it and would think it a little odd. Do you salt everything you’re served? Douglas Adams called such people auto-condimenters, and I have seen people put salt and pepper on nearly everything, just not pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/8 "2012-11-16T00:47:28Z")
I have done it on the odd occasion, but when the concept was first introduced to me, I was skeptical at best. I had never heard of it growing up in NJ. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/9 "2012-11-16T00:53:07Z")
I had a friend as a child who put salt on pizza (80s.) We thought it was ridiculous because pizza is salty enough. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/10 "2012-11-16T01:00:40Z")
Lemme put it this way: it’s not not weird. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/11 "2012-11-16T01:03:56Z")
Depends on the pizza. A well made pizza should stand on it’s own. Unfortunately the vast majority of pizza is not well made, Some definitely needs salt. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/12 "2012-11-16T01:05:16Z")
As a mostly-lifelong Illinoisian, I say it’s frickin’ weird and I can’t remember ever seeing anyone do it and pizza is generally plenty salty anyway. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/13 "2012-11-16T01:27:15Z")
I’m not one to shy away from table salt, but don’t think I’ve ever come across pizza that I felt needed it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/14 "2012-11-16T01:28:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Douglas Adams called such people auto-condimenters, and I have seen people put salt and pepper on nearly everything, just not pizza. Terry Pratchett. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/15 "2012-11-16T01:34:30Z")
I’d estimate that 25% of people I’ve watched eat pizza salt it. Not particularly weird in my book. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/16 "2012-11-16T01:38:15Z")
At least in my part of the world, pizza is salted before it goes to the oven, and is in fact saltier than most fast foods. Otherwise, it’s just a thin crust of bread with a thin slathering of cheese and tomato sauce on top. People who ADD salt just want it even spicier. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/17 "2012-11-16T02:01:09Z")
I salt, and also pepper pizza. And a lot of times also hot-sauce pizza. I remember doing the salt and pepper thing at work 25 years ago and having someone at the table remark “Now I’ve seen everything.” Why this is uncommon I have no idea. If I was eating spaghetti, or cannelloni, or lasagna (for example) no one would have commented, I imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/18 "2012-11-16T02:13:16Z")
I put salt on pizza if the sauce is too sweet. Preferably onion-salt, but if there is none, just salt. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/19 "2012-11-16T02:14:43Z")
I’ve both done it and seen it done. It doesn’t seem that strange to me. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146/20 "2012-11-16T02:16:33Z")
50 years on this earth. 30 with a salt-fiend. I gave her a 30lb salt lick as a joke one xmas. She loved it.:smack: I have never seen anyone salt a pizza. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-pizza-weird/641146.md?page=2)