c. 1890-1950s
Sicilian emigration and the American square pie
Sicilian sfincione — a thick, spongy, tray-baked bread topped with onion, anchovy, breadcrumb and a hard grating cheese — travelled with Sicilian emigrants and became, in the United States, something quite different: the mozzarella-topped 'Sicilian slice' and, later, the thinner home-pan grandma pie.
From and to
Origin
- Country:
- Italy
- Region:
- Sicily
- City:
- Palermo
Destination
- Country:
- United States
- City:
- New York City
- Community:
- Sicilian-American
Multiple overlapping routes
Several genuine routes contributed at once; presenting any one of them as the route would be misleading.
What changed on arrival
Ingredient substitution
Mozzarella replaced the caciocavallo, anchovy and toasted breadcrumb topping of Palermitan sfincione, converting a savoury bread into something recognisable to American customers as pizza.
Diverged from: Sfincione's onion, anchovy, breadcrumb and caciocavallo topping
Generally accepted- American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza — Ten Speed Press
Format or portion change
The tray bake was cut into large squares sold by the piece, giving the American 'Sicilian slice' its defining format.
Generally accepted- American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza — Ten Speed Press
Oven or equipment adaptation
The grandma pie is a distinct later branch of the same lineage: a thinner, quicker home-kitchen version baked in an ordinary domestic sheet pan and oven, which is what made it a home rather than bakery product.
Generally accepted- American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza — Ten Speed Press
- Slice (pizza history and culture writing) — Slice / First We Feast
Linguistic change
'Sicilian' in an American pizzeria means a thick square slice, which is not what the word denotes in Sicily — a genuine and common source of confusion.
Generally accepted- Slice (pizza history and culture writing) — Slice / First We Feast
Styles on either side of this route
Origin styles
Styles this route produced
Related
Evidence
Generally accepted- American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza — Ten Speed Press
- Slice (pizza history and culture writing) — Slice / First We Feast