September 5th is a very special day. Not only is it Labor Day this year, it’s also National Cheese Pizza Day every year! So what better way to celebrate than by answering a very important question: does America have the cheesiest pizza? There’s also an important follow-up question: why do we love pizza so much? While it’s hard to lock down a definitive answer to either of those questions, the team at Granfanlly’s is going to try our best. After all, we are the best of Salem pizza places, so we know a thing or two about pizza.
Let’s take a look at why America loves cheese so much, especially at Salem pizza places.
It’s all about that stringy mozzarella.
There’s nothing quite like lifting up a slice of pizza and watching the cheese stretch into those very satisfying strings. To achieve that delightful stringy effect, Salem pizza places, and pizza places across America, load up their pies with cheese. If you travel to another part of the world or go to a New York-style pizza place, you’ll find a lot less cheese on their pizzas. We don’t want to knock anyone’s preferred pizza style, but there’s something special about making it the American way with extra cheese.
Chemistry makes us love pizza.
That’s right, it’s science! The basic ingredients of pizza are cheese, tomato, and bread. All those things are delicious on their own, but when they are combined, their flavor compounds work together to make them even better. Tomatoes and cheese also contain a compound called glutamate. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that tells your brain to get excited as soon as a food containing it touches your tongue. That’s what makes your mouth water when you smell pizza fresh out of the oven.
Pizza also contains ingredients that turn brown when heated. That process is called caramelization, which is when the sugars in a food—like cheese or tomato—turn brown and crispy when they reach 230-320 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s the same thing that happens when you toast a marshmallow and the outside turns golden brown.
Celebrate Cheese Pizza Day at Salem Pizza Places
We can’t think of a better way to celebrate both pizza and America than heading to Salem pizza places on September 5th. But don’t go to just any pizza place, come to Granfanally’s! Experience our delicious pizza with our famous garlic knot crust and load it up with all your favorite toppings, or stick with classic cheese.