New York and New Jersey Have Some Thoughts About Connecticut Trying to Make Pizza Its Official State Food

Pizza might be the most contentious food in America. States can't seem to agree on what constitutes a pizza to begin with, let alone who makes the best pie. As Food & Wine reports, Connecticut ignited a new debate around the old topic when state legislators put forth a bill to make pizza the Constitution State's official state food. Predictably, both New York and New Jersey had something to say on the subject.

The proposed legislation comes from Connecticut representative Patricia Dillon and senator Gary Winfield. Winfield is originally from New York, and even he's convinced that Connecticut's pizza offerings are something special. New Haven, one of the pizza capitals of the world, is known for its crispy, thin-crust pies, locally known as apizza. Connecticut's famous white pies topped with littleneck clams have also helped put the state's pizzerias on the map.

Even if the new bill is justified, that didn't stop neighboring states from taking it as a challenge. The official @NJGov Twitter account retweeted the news with a simple statement: "No."

Connecticut lieutenant governor Susan Bysiewicz was quick to stand up for her state's (still unofficial) state food, tweeting, "Don't worry, we'll send you a slice. In the meantime, stick to the pork rolls."

New Jersey lieutenant governor Sheila Oliver replied, "Call it pork roll or Taylor ham—just don't call pizza Connecticut's official state food. Stick to the grinders."

It was only a matter of time before New York—perhaps the state that's most defensive of its pizza credentials—got involved. New York lieutenant governor Kathy Hochul stepped into the ring when she tweeted, "As a former [pizza] cook and someone who has visited many pizza joints across New York State—I can confidently declare that New York IS the pizza capital of the world."

Regardless of whether the Connecticut bill passes, the matter of which state has the best pizza likely won't be settled anytime soon. Considering the first states to start selling pizza were New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, all three can at least take partial credit for the dish's American roots.

[h/t Food & Wine]