Trenton tomato pie facts for kids
| Alternative names | New Jersey tomato pie |
|---|---|
| Type | Pizza |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Trenton, New Jersey |
| Main ingredients | Pizza dough, tomato sauce, cheese |
The Trenton tomato pie is a special kind of pizza that comes from Trenton, New Jersey, in the United States. It's also known as the New Jersey tomato pie. This pie is usually round and has a thin crust. What makes it unique is how it's made: the cheese and other toppings go on first, and then the tomato sauce is added on top! It became popular in the early 1900s.
How It's Made
Making a Trenton tomato pie is a bit different from making a regular pizza. First, the pizza dough is stretched out to make a thin, round base. Then, the cheese, like mozzarella, and any other toppings are spread out on the dough. After that, the tomato sauce is carefully spooned or swirled over everything else. This "sauce on top" method is what truly sets it apart from other pizzas.
Its Story
The first Trenton-style tomato pie was made at a place called Joe's Tomato Pie, which opened in 1910. Two years later, in 1912, Papa's Tomato Pies opened. The owner of Papa's learned how to make these pies at Joe's.
Today, the Trenton area is home to the two oldest tomato pie restaurants still open in the United States: Papa's and De Lorenzo's. Over the years, Trenton tomato pies have become popular in more places. For example, Palermo's opened in Bordentown, New Jersey in 1991. More recently, in 2017, Classico Tomato Pies opened in West Windsor and was even named the best Trenton tomato pie by a local newspaper.
