How Swedish Pizza Differs From American Slices

Pizza may be one of the most recognizable foods in the world, but what ends up in the box can vary a lot depending on where you are. In the U.S., it usually means thick cheese, lots of sauce, and a crust that can hold up under the weight of it all. And while the usual debate centers on the comparison between American and Italian pizza, Sweden heads in a completely different direction.

Step into a typical Swedish pizzeria, and you won't find deep-dish pies or thick-crusted slices soaking through the box. Instead, you'll get something thinner, flatter, and much less greasy. The crust is more delicate, the sauce is minimal, and the cheese – when it's not a local cream cheese like gräddost – is used sparingly.

Toppings, though, are anything but plain. One of the more common pizzas includes sliced meatballs and a generous drizzle of béarnaise. Kebab pizzas are also popular, often layered with meat, sauce, and shredded lettuce. A ham-and-mushroom combo called Capricciosa is common, while Vesuvio, its simpler cousin, leaves off the mushrooms but sticks to the same template. None of it is framed as fusion — it's just what's expected.

What tends to surprise first-time eaters is the pizzasallad. In Sweden, a cabbage slaw usually arrives with your order, sometimes with red pepper mixed in. Some people have it on the side. Others pile it right on top. Either way, it's a dish you'll only find in Sweden – and if you're not used to it, it'll probably be the first thing you notice.

American pizza takes many forms, but subtle isn't usually one of them. From the thin, oversized foldable slices across New York's five boroughs to the heavy, fork-and-knife deep dish in Chicago, the common thread is more — more cheese, more toppings, more everything.

You'll typically find the classic builds with pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms everywhere, but so are loaded pies with barbecue chicken, cheeseburger fixings, or enough extra cheese to cover a second pizza. Compared to Sweden's thinner, stripped-down approach, American pizza feels like a full meal before you've even touched the crust. It's loud, layered, and every part of it — crust, sauce, toppings — shows up all at once.  

If you're a fan of American pizza, you'll likely still enjoy its Swedish counterpart. In the end, it's all still pizza — but the ways pizza is made around the world show just how different it can look.