Beach Pizza Was Invented in Massachusetts, Yet No One Knows What It Is?
Massachusetts is famous for many things. From its rich history, beautiful landscapes, prestigious colleges, and iconic sports teams, residents of the state have a lot to brag about.
Massachusetts also is famous for its food! While food might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to the Bay State, between a thriving culinary scene in the Boston area, to mouth-watering farm-to-table restaurants of the Berkshires, and even iconic food manufacturers (think Ocean Spray, Fluff, and more) Massachusetts has an abundance of food to be proud of.
Regional cuisine is huge in a state that is large in population, but relatively small in land mass. As previously mentioned, the competitive culinary scene of the Boston area boasts some of the freshest seafood in the country. North Shore communities lay claim to some of the best roast beef sandwiches in the world. Restaurants in the Berkshire mountains of western Massachusetts have gardens visible from dining rooms, growing vegetables that will end up on your plate by the end of the night. Each pocket of Massachusetts has something to offer.
As a lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I consider myself pretty well versed in regional cuisine, but recently I came across something I, nor my Lynn, Massachusetts-born co-worker have ever heard of. Beach Pizza. When a post from Phantom Gourmet popped up on my newsfeed, I was immediately intrigued.
What is Beach Pizza and Why is It a Thing in Massachusetts?
Apparently, beach pizza is a style of pizza popular in the North Shore area and coastal towns in southern New Hampshire. Never in my entire life have I heard of this. I have several friends and family who either grew up or still live in this area and few to none of them were familiar with this.
What makes Beach Pizza different than regular Pizza? According to some quick Google searches, it has a very thin crust, is rectangular in shape, and is typically cooked on a baking sheet. The sauce tends to be on the sweeter side and is topped with a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and sliced deli-style provolone cheese.
Beach pizza was first invented in 1944 at Tripoli Bakery in Lawrence, Massachusetts. It was popularized during the peak tourism in Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts during the 1990s.
Although Beach Pizza doesn't sound particularly amazing to me personally, I've put it on my food bucket list.
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