Why Altoona-Style Pizza Might Upset Purists

Pizza may be as close as it gets to a universally-adored food. Kids love it, adults love it, people all over the world love it. But it is also a matter of extensive debate and deeply-held opinions. If you talk to people from New York, Chicago, Detroit, Connecticut, or any of the other handful of places in the U.S. with their own style of pizza, they are likely to express that their hometown technique is the best. Some, on the other hand, may prefer to look back to the origin of the dish, Neapolitan-style pizza, as the ideal experience. Few, however, are likely to pick Altoona-style pizza as their favorite. 

While this style of pizza separates itself from the pack in a variety of ways, the heart of the issue people take with the Pennsylvanian delicacy is likely to come down to one unusual component: Altoona pizza replaces the traditional mozzarella cheese with bright yellow, processed American cheese. There are many different types of pizza around the world and plenty of toppings that might be considered unconventional, but this strange cheese decision with Altoona-style pizza pushes boundaries in a way that is sure to be upsetting to pizza purists. 

Altoona pizza is unique, and the world of food depends on intrepid chefs trying new and unusual ideas, but swapping out one of the three core pizza ingredients — bread, tomato sauce, and mozzarella — for something sliced and fluorescent is a step to far for some. It was certainly enough to land it at the bottom of our taste tester's ranking of different pizza styles.

Altoona pizza is about more than just the cheese. It starts with a thick, Sicilian-style crust – more like focaccia than a Neapolitan crust — which is slathered with tomato sauce and, per Pennsylvanian tradition, topped with salami and sliced green bell peppers beneath that final layer of Kraft singles. Chopped into squares that are referred to as "cuts," it could be described as more closely resembling an open-faced sandwich than a standard slice. This unique pizza is said to have gotten its start at the Altoona hotel around the 1960s or '70s. Back then, however, the recipe may actually have been even more offensive to conventional pizza consumers, as it wasn't American cheese topping the pie at the time, but Velveeta. 

American cheese is a stark departure from tradition, but Velveeta really pushes the boundaries of what can be considered cheese. Interestingly, while Altoona pizza certainly stands out from most other styles of pizzas you will find, it is not the only Pennsylvania pizza that makes use of processed cheese food. Philadelphia's pizzaz pizza is a similar offering also topped with American cheese, though the sauce is notably absent in this rendition and replaced with fresh sliced tomatoes. Purists would likely do well to skip the Pennsylvania portion of their pizza pilgrimage, but for those with a more open mind, both of these unusual uses for American cheese do have their fair share of devotees. And it never hurts to try something once, right?