Calzone or stromboli?

Have you ever walked into an Italian delicatessen and been overwhelmed by everything you saw? Chances are your eye fell on a stromboli. Or was it a calzone after all? These two cousins of the classic pizza look remarkably similar, but if you look closely, there are indeed differences. 

Italy vs America

The calzone is originally Italian; more precisely, it comes from Naples. Calzones are popular as street food. Eating a pizza isn’t exactly quick or easy. A calzone, on the other hand, can be eaten straight out of your hand. Ingredients and preparation techniques vary by region. Strombolis are originally Italian-American. They were first made in an Italian neighborhood in South Philadelphia and named after the Italian island of Stromboli.

Taco vs burrito

One major difference is the preparation technique. A clear comparison: a calzone is like a taco, while a stromboli is like a burrito. A calzone is always folded in half, while a stromboli is always rolled. The dough also has a different shape. When preparing a calzone, you use a round piece of dough. You fold this piece in half into a crescent shape. Dough for a stromboli is shaped like a long rectangle. You roll it up until it has the shape of a cigar. Additionally, a calzone is made for one person, while a stromboli is made to share.

Sauce and cheese

One of the most important differences is the use of sauce. A calzone never, ever has sauce on the inside. It is meant to be dipped in sauce instead. Strombolis, on the other hand, do have sauce on the inside. Different cheeses are also used in their preparation: a stromboli is made with mozzarella. A calzone usually contains a mix of cheeses, of which ricotta is the most commonly used.