INQUISITR.COM / Health & Lifestyle

Mustard Pizza Is A Thing, And The Internet Has A Lot To Say About It

By Inquisitr Staff
Published on: 08:37 PST, Sep 10, 2018

Mustard pizza is a thing — the internet has a lot to say about it — and it goes way beyond the pineapple pizza debate.

Over the past few days, arguments have erupted online over whether or not a novel food experiment described as mustard pizza is really pizza at all — or if it should even exist. There are also a significant amount of foodies contending that mustard should never be a pizza ingredient, going so far as to say that the addition of mustard to a pie disqualifies it as pizza altogether. While mustard pizza does have some supporters, it seems to have even more vocal critics.

This eccentric style of pie known as mustard pizza is available at a New York City pizzeria called Lions & Tigers & Squares, whose menu lists it alongside the usual culinary suspects. They specialize in Detroit-style pizza — which is square with a thick crust topped off with brick cheese. That alone makes the eatery’s offerings controversial to some New Yorkers, but the mustard pizza option is what really gets people going. The controversy comes into fruition not just because the food sounds strange to most people, but also because the modern version doesn’t even remotely resemble the original mustard pizza recipe.

According to Bustle, mustard pizza was born when an anonymous customer — who was alleged intoxicated — called Papa’s Tomato Pies in Trenton, New Jersey. The inebriated customer then asked for a mushroom pizza. Slurring his words due to his alcohol intake, the pizzeria worker taking the order thought the customer wanted “mustard pizza.” Even though it seemed odd — aiming to please — they squirted mustard over the crust, and then added tomato sauce over the top.

A new pizza style was born.

Lions & Tigers & Squares makes a mustard pizza many people argue isn’t even a pizza, but rather an open-face sandwich. Their recipe is pizza crust covered with Gulden’s spicy brown mustard — topped with sauerkraut, corned beef, and cheese. It’s basically a Reuben masquerading as a pizza, according to The Takeout. Whatever the definition of the foodstuff, the recipe calls for a lot of mustard. Even for mustard lovers, it’s a tremendous amount. That alone for some people is just too much.

What is it really? Is there any limit to what toppings or condiments can be utilized on a pizza pie? There is a camp that proclaims that so long as the toppings and condiments rest on a baked pizza dough, it is a pizza no matter what the additions. Another side of the argument claims that it isn’t a pizza unless it has the crust topped with traditional tomato sauce at the very least. As this new version of mustard pizza lacks tomato sauce — it’s just a sandwich to proponents of the latter crowd.

Those that have eaten Lions & Tigers & Squares mustard-laden fare and left reviews online — or have voiced their opinion on Twitter about the food — mostly seem to like it. Some say there is a bit too much mustard on it, but overall the local response to it has been fairly warm. Even amongst those who count themselves fans of the mustard pie, there are some that argue that it isn’t really a pizza.

Whatever it is, it might be worth trying out.

Then again, it may be a sign of the apocalypse — at least according to the Twitter scuttlebutt.

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