Is Pizza a Pie?

Pizza is not a pie. A pie is made using a pastry crust with a filling, while a pizza is a flatbread with one or more toppings.

So why do some people call pizza “pizza pie”? In the early 20th century, when Italian immigrants first brought pizza to the United States, Americans didn’t really have anything to compare it to, to explain what it was. Pizza was round like a pie, and it was cut into wedges like a pie. It was also baked in an oven. Given the lack of other words to describe this new food, some people called it “tomato pie.”

However, while calling a pizza a “pie” may be common in some places, especially New York City and Chicago, you’re likely to confuse people anywhere else.