What Is Clean Cut Pizza? – And Why It Matters
Pizza is one of the most popular dishes in the world. And while there are numerous pizza variations for everyone to have their favorite, there are still debates regarding the dough style, toppings, and even the proper way to eat pizza.
One of the recent pizza-related discussions is about clean cut pizza.
What is clean cut pizza? The term clean cut pizza refers to cutting the pizza with a clean cutter. This means cleaning the cutter between every pizza and even sometimes between every slice.
This article covers everything you need to know about this controversial pizza term and why it matters.
What Is Clean Cut Pizza?
Clean cut pizza is a relatively new pizza term so it’s no surprise that many people don’t know what it is. It doesn’t have to do with the preparation process of the dish but only cutting it before serving.
When asked what clean cut pizza is, many people would think that it refers to the clean lines of pizza slices that you get with a sharp cutting tool. While there is logic in this answer, the term clean cut is something else for pizza.
It refers to cutting the pizza with clean tools. In other words, to get a clean cut pizza, the pizza wheel should be cleaned before use so that it doesn’t have any remaining food particles from the previous pizza it was used to cut.
Do All Restaurants Do A Clean Cut?
We all know how busy pizza places are. While it takes your pizza around 12 minutes to get to you, the pizza goes through multiple stages of preparation.
People working in the kitchen of pizza restaurants work very quickly and in an automated manner. Someone shapes the pizza dough.
The other person spreads the tomato sauce that is the base of nearly all pizzas. Someone else adds the toppings according to the customer’s choice.
Then the pizza goes into the oven. Once it’s cooked, the pizza is removed from the oven with the help of a pizza peel. And before you get your pizza, another person quickly slices it.
Working at such a fast pace, it is not surprising that the person cutting the pizzas uses the same pizza roller for all pizzas, despite the toppings.
Pizza places are sometimes so busy that multiple pizzas are arranged in a row and the person quickly goes from pizza to pizza without cleaning the pizza wheel after each use.
So, it would be naïve to think that all pizza restaurants serve clean cut pizza. Nonetheless, if everything else is done right, you enjoy your pizza anyway.
And let’s not forget that anything that comes out of the very hot pizza oven is essentially bacteria-free, as the high heat kills the most harmful bacteria that could be on different pizza ingredients.
With this said, there are multiple reasons why someone may require a clean cut pizza.
Why Does Clean Cutting A Pizza Matter?
If all pizza tastes good to you, you may find the notion of clean cut pizza to be pointless. But the method of clean cutting pizza does make sense from several standpoints.
Hygiene
While some people are completely fine with pizza restaurants using the same cutting wheel for multiple pizzas, some people may not find it to be a hygienic practice. (Even if they have never thought about it before.)
But when it comes to hygiene, things have changed tremendously in the past two years thanks to the virus affecting all places and people.
And while food that comes out of the pizza oven is nearly germ-free, taking an extra step to use a clean cutting tool for each pizza is an added step for enhanced hygiene.
People who are especially passionate about such hygiene practices might bring the example of using the same ladle for all kinds of soups. This definitely sounds worse than using the same cutter for all pizzas.
But for many customers, both cases may be unacceptable.
Vegans And Vegetarians
If you are a vegan or vegetarian, it certainly won’t feel good to know that the vegetable pizza you have ordered was cut with the same pizza wheel as pepperoni pizza or a pizza loaded with ham.
A person eating vegan certainly won’t appreciate having real mozzarella cheese strings on their dairy-free pizza.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian and want to be sure that the cutting tools used on your pizza have never been in contact with meat or dairy, you can freely ask the waiter for a clean cut pizza.
Although it would be great for all pizza places to keep this in mind without asking, especially when serving vegan or vegetarian pizzas.
Religious Practices
Another case when a clean cut pizza matters are religious practices. For example, Muslims will eat only halal pizza, which corresponds to Islamic law.
Muslims will never eat pepperoni pizza if it is not claimed to be halal. In the majority of the cases, store-bought pepperoni is not halal and the pepperoni used by American pizza places is not usually not halal.
Likewise, food eaten by Jewish people must be kosher, or conform to Jewish law.
These practices are incredibly important in these religions and many more, so this is certainly a weighty reason to avoid cross-contamination with food that isn’t considered acceptable.
Gluten Intolerance
People with gluten intolerance are another group of customers that are likely to ask for clean cut pizza.
A restaurant may offer both regular and gluten-free pizza. And using the same cutter without wiping it for both types can put a person with gluten intolerance at risk.
Food Allergies
Even the smallest amount of food a person is allergic to can trigger a severe reaction. People with food allergies should always make sure their food is completely free of any allergens.
Every pizza place offers dozens of pizza varieties, all with different toppings. And if the person cutting the pizzas uses the same pizza cutter for all pizzas, it can put people with allergies at serious risk.
To eliminate such incidents, it is always good for pizza restaurants to serve clean cut pizza. Alternatively, they can use a different cutter for each pizza variety.
If you are allergic to certain foods that are a common pizza topping, ask the waiter to serve you a clean cut pizza. And if you are not sure you will be getting what you ask for, err on the safe side and ask for a no cut pizza.
Personal Preference
Last but not least, it might simply be a matter of personal preference to ask for a clean cut pizza.
Be it a wish to protect your diet from traces of unwanted food or a strong urge to make sure your food is hygienic, you always have the right to ask for a clean cut pizza.
How To Clean Cut A Pizza At Home
If you are baking only one pizza at a time, you are most likely getting a clean cut on it as you are using your cutter for that pizza only. The general rule for getting a clean cut pizza at home is using a clean and sharp stainless steel pizza cutter.
If you are baking a few pizzas at a time, make sure to clean the wheel after cutting each pizza. The same goes for when you are using a knife to cut the pizza.
Different Types Of Pizza Cuts
If clean cut pizza i something new to you, you might want to learn about other types of pizza cuts too.
The Normal Cut
This is the cut of pizza we are all used to seeing. A round pizza cut into uniform triangular slices. Depending on how big your pizza is, you can cut it into 4, 6, 8, and even 12 slices.
Double Cut Pizza
Double cutting is another relatively new technique for cutting pizza. It simply refers to cutting all the slices in half. For example, you can order a 6-slice pizza and double cut it to get 12 slices. You can have the pizza restaurant do it for you too.
Double cut pizza works well when you have ordered a large pizza to feed a large number of people but the number of slices is still not enough.
Additionally, double cut pizza is easier to eat at parties as the pieces are very manageable. Also, double cut pizza is perfect for kid parties.
Square Cut Pizza
The square cut technique of cutting pizzas is typically applied to pizzas that have a rectangular shape. Cutting such pizzas into uniform squares is the best way to make the slices comfortable for holding and eating.
Cutting round pizzas into square pieces is not a common practice though there are people who prefer square pizza slices.
No Cut Pizza
As the name implies, no cut pizza is pizza that comes unsliced. You may ask for a no cut pizza to avoid the contact of cutting tools with your food.
You may also prefer getting a no cut pizza if it is a smaller pizza and you will be eating it alone.
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