How to Eat Pizza

Holding and Folding Your Pizza

Hold the pizza by the crust if it’s firm and crispy. This is the most popular way to eat a pizza. If the crust is thick and crispy enough to hold the weight of the toppings and cheese, simply lift it up and put the point of the slice into your mouth. From there, you can eat away and enjoy all of the toppings! For thin slices of pizza, this technique won’t be as effective because the end of the slice will flop down. In that case, hold the pizza a little higher than usual to catch the end of the slice in your mouth.

Do the “New York Fold” to keep the cheese from falling off. Take the sides of the pizza and fold them to meet, creating “U” shape with the crust. Most New Yorkers claim that this is the best way to eat a pizza because it keeps the cheese in place and makes the pizza easier to eat while standing or walking. This technique also has the added bonus of protecting the roof of your mouth from getting burnt on the hot cheese.

Use your thumb, index, and middle finger to bend the crust for added stability. If you want to eat your slice without folding it in half, but it keeps flopping down at the end, you can prop it up by “crimping” the crust. Put your thumb and middle finger under the center of the crust, and use your index finger to push down on the center of the crust, making a “V” shape. You can also support the end of the pizza with your free hand to guide it into your mouth while you crimp the crust. Once you reach the middle of the slice you should be able to hold it up by the crust!

Make a “pizza wallet” to keep Neapolitan pizza from losing its toppings. Some pizza chefs recommend folding the end of the slice up to the crust and then folding the slice in half to make a sort of pocket out of the pizza. This keeps the toppings on the slice and ensures that you get a ton of flavor in every bite! After the slice is folded, you can eat from any side. Most people recommend starting with the crust to keep the wallet from falling apart.

Eat the crust first to save the cheesiest parts for the end. There’s nothing worse than a dry crust on a pizza, so you can eat the crust first to ensure that you get some sauce, cheese, and toppings with it. Start at the crust and work your way to the point of the slice to save the cheesiest and sauciest parts of the slice for the final bite. This tends to be a bit messier than other techniques, so make sure to have some napkins on hand for cleanup!

Use a fork and knife if you have a lot of toppings on your pizza. Most pizza enthusiasts will tell you to avoid the knife and fork at all costs, but sometimes they’re unavoidable. For Chicago style or deep dish pizzas, cutting up the slice into smaller pieces with a knife and fork allows you to get a little bit of crust, sauce, cheese, and toppings in every bite. This is also the cleanest method for eating pizza and would probably be best if you’re at an important dinner or out on a date. Most pizzas won’t be served with a fork and knife, so be sure to ask the waiter or waitress to bring some utensils for you!

Save the crust to dip into your favorite sauce. It’s popular in the U.S. to order extra marinara, ranch, or garlic sauce with pizza. Once you reach the crust, dip the end of the slice into your extra sauce, or tear it into pieces before dipping to avoid double dipping if you’re sharing. Be sure to let the sauce drip off of the crust before you pop it into your mouth. Otherwise, you might end up with sauce all over your shirt.

Eating Like an Italian

Eat the entire pizza on your own. In Italy, most pizzas are “personal” pizzas, not for sharing between a table. The smaller pies are served extremely hot and personalized with your favorite toppings for you to enjoy. If you can’t finish your pizza, that’s okay! However, most pizza places in Italy won’t allow you to take your leftovers home.

Use a fork and a knife to cut the pizza into smaller pieces. Italian pizzas are rarely served pre-sliced, but they’ll come with a fork and a knife for cutting the pizza. You can make slices, or cut bite-sized pieces to pop into your mouth. For Neapolitan pizza places in Italy, it’s customary to eat the entire pizza with a fork and knife, not your hands.

Pick up Roman slices and fold them if the crust is crispy. In Rome specifically, once you have your pizza cut, you can pick it up and eat the individual slices however you want. The crusts are thinner and crispy, which makes them perfect for eating with your hands. Be careful! Italian pizzas are served extremely hot, so you might want to wait a second for the crust to cool after you slice it.

Order “pizza al taglio” if you’re on the go. Most pizza places will service pizza al taglio, or pizza by the slice. They’ll cut off a slice from a big pizza and serve it to you at a to-go window. It’s acceptable to eat this pizza with your hands while walking around. The shape and size of the pizza slices will depend on the restaurant making them. Some of them can be really big, so be prepared for a full meal!

Following Pizza Etiquette

Eat an appetizer pizza by holding it if you’re at a restaurant. Some Italian restaurants offer whole pizzas as an appetizer for the table to share. If that’s the case, you can grab a slice and hold or fold it to eat it. Try to stick to one slice until everyone in the table has gotten a piece. If you’re wearing nice clothes and worried about dropping some toppings on yourself, you can use a fork and a knife to eat your pizza, as long as there are appetizer plates for you to set the slice on.

Show your manners by eating pizza with a fork and knife if you’re at a business meal. In any formal dinner setting where pizza is the main entree, rest the slice on your plate and use the fork and knife to cut it into smaller pieces. Avoid picking up the slice with your hands, which can be unnecessarily messy. This will keep you from getting sauce and toppings on your clothes or face while eating, and is easier for talking while eating.

Follow the host’s lead if you’re unsure of how to eat your slice. In a formal dinner setting, if you don’t know the proper etiquette for eating your food, you can always look to the host to see what’s acceptable. When the pizza gets to the table, let the host take their piece first, which will give you time to make note of what they do. Try to avoid staring at them while they eat, which can be considered rude. Instead, focus on getting your pizza onto your plate and then glance at them to see how they’re eating it.

Keep your pizza opinions personal to avoid conflict. Depending on where you're from, the right way to eat pizza might be a controversial topic. If you're at dinner and someone is eating pizza differently than you would, avoid making comments about it. Follow the host's lead and eat the way they're eating to be polite. If someone makes a comment about the way that you eat pizza, take it in stride. Many people have strong opinions on the right way to eat a pizza because of where they're from. Just remember, all that matters is that you're enjoying the delicious slice in front of you!