NYC Tap Water Has Nothing To Do With The Quality Of Its Pizza

There has got to be something in the water in New York City. Then again, maybe not. From bagels to dim sum, the city is home to some iconic dishes, but nothing is as particular to the city as a slice of New York City pizza. In fact, it's even been said that the special something behind the flavor of a New York slice is the city's tap water. However, in the case of New York's unique pizza scene, boiling all that flavor down to water content doesn't quite capture just what makes the pizza so special.

This isn't to say that New York City's water has no impact on its pizza quality, although the city's water supply does have some pretty unique qualities. Thanks to its origins in upstate reservoirs, the water contains "ideal quantities of calcium and dissolved minerals," according to Edible Manhattan. This causes a calcium-ion effect in pizza doughs when water is incorporated into the recipes, stiffening the dough, and supposedly contributing to the pizza's signature crispy texture. However, this does little to explain the relative abundance of, well, frankly not-so-great dollar slice joints that pepper the city. So clearly, the quality of New York City's pizza goes far beyond the water. 

And it seems that New York water enthusiasts seem to discount one essential element of New York City Pizza: its history. The fact of the matter is that American pizza as we know it originated in the city and was perfected through generations of honed craftsmanship and one or two key technological innovations, all of which make the New York slice so iconic.

To fully understand New York-style pizza, you have to first understand its origins. And for the most part, people pinpoint the origins of New York-style pizza to 1905, in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan. That's where (and when) Gennaro Lombardi opened America's first pizzeria. The shop was aptly called Lombardi's.

Well, at least that's how the story goes, at least on paper. That's when Lombardi's became America's first licensed pizzeria, but the shop had been operating since 1897. But that's not all; the U.S. Pizza Museum explains that enthusiastic pizza historian Peter Regas discovered that a man named Filippo Milone preceded Lombardi in the New York pizza game and owned the pizzeria Lombardi would later run. Milone began opening his U.S. pizza shops in the 1890s, well before Lombardi began selling his "tomato pies."

Regardless of the exact inventor, however, it's apparent that pizza has been a part of New York City for quite a long time. Originally, pizzas were sold as a quick and portable lunch option for workers in the city. Pizzas were often cooked early in the morning in coal ovens before they reached their blazing 900-degree Fahrenheit capacity, which would burn pizza but was used to bake bread in the Italian bakeries from which pizza originated. 

And though Lombardi's (or Milone's) pizzeria originated the pie in America, other restaurants soon followed suit, and by the end of the 20th century, pizza had become one of the city's most signature foods, and an overall American fast food staple, with many of the city's pizza joints passing down signature recipes and cooking methods through the generations, perfecting the classic slice.

The craft of making New York-style pizza has indeed been honed for generations, but another element of the pie's signature taste comes, not from craft, or water processing, but from the ovens used to cook the pizzas. At first, New York pizzas were cooked in coal fire ovens. These ovens were often favored among Italian bakers for their ability to come to high heat and fire crusty and delicious mounds of bread. However, these ovens weren't ideal for cooking pizza, as the high temperatures could easily burn pizza crusts. And pizzas were often sold in their whole, uncut state, ready to serve immediately out of the oven.

According to PBS, it wasn't until Frank Mastro invented the box-shaped, gas-fueled oven in the 1930s that New York City pizza took on its signature form and serving style. Mastro, an Italian immigrant, wanted to bring the delicious New York pizza to the masses. And he found that the traditional coal-burning ovens simply didn't do the trick for a good, fast pizza.

Mastro's gas ovens reached temperatures ranging from 550 degrees Fahrenheit to 600 degrees, baking pizzas in minutes, allowing for quick turnover and higher pie turnout. His ovens had many benefits, including the ability to cook out water from pizzas faster, causing a crispier crust. Additionally, these ovens were perfect for pre-baking whole pizzas and reheating prebaked slices, allowing pizzerias to sell pizzas by the slice, making them infinitely more portable and convenient, and ultimately creating the iconic New York slice.