Calzone vs Stromboli
Calzone and Stromboli are two equally tasty foods that are popular with many people nowadays. They sound as if they are Italian foods and while it is mostly true, there is a difference between calzone and stromboli, and their origins are just the tip of the iceberg.
What is Calzone?
A calzone is an Italian dish that is based off of the pizza pie. Instead of it being flat and topped with sauce, cheese, meats and vegetables, they stuff everything inside. Calzone means pant leg in Italian, and this dish was inspired by the kind of pants some people wore during the 18th century. This dish is said to have originated in Naples, Italy.
What is Stromboli?
Stromboli, on the other hand, is more of a sandwich than a turnover, although you might mistake it easily as calzone because of their similarities in appearance. The dish, however, does not contain the sheep’s milk cheese, ricotta. Although it can be considered as an Italian dish, it was made up somewhere in the United States, although the location is not quite known, some say in Philadelphia, some say in Washington state.
What is the difference between Calzone and Stromboli?
While they have Italian-sounding names, it is the calzone that you can call the more authentic of the two. Both dishes also take inspiration from the pizza pie, in the fact that they need almost the same ingredients as the pizza, although it is the stromboli that comes closer since you can be more flexible with what you want to use. Also, in cooking the calzone, it needs to be formed into a crescent moon-like shape with the stuffing inside. The stromboli, on the other hand, is rolled with the stuffing before cooking.
In summary, calzone and stromboli are two equally tasty Italian foods and are quite similar yet there are subtle differences that make them truly a world apart.
Summary:
Calzone vs Stromboli
- Calzone is an Italian dish that is pizza dough filled with tomato sauce, cheese and some meats and then formed into a crescent. This originated in Naples, Italy and was named after a type of pants that men wore during the 18th century.
- Stromboli is another Italian dish, although this one is Italian-American, which takes its inspiration from pizza as well. This time, however, the toppings, which are more versatile compared to the calzone, are rolled with the dough.
Caroline F Johnson says
Now I know the difference between Stromboli and Calzone! Thanks
Mike says
I’m sorry but you really didn’t tell me the difference although I did appreciate the history. I do like your description of the stromboli as sandwich like. Very accurate. It seems to me that vs calzone in most basic form is comprised of cheese- ricotta and mozzarella. Now it’s true that most of not all pizza shops allow things to be added the basic formula is the cheeses. The stromboli has cheese (mostly mozzarella) although I don’t think it’s a requirement and meats and with vegetables like onions and peppers. You are also correct in describing them as both being delicious lol.
Mike Mac says
Calzone is folded over, Stromboli is rolled. Think pinwheel wraps.
Now I’m hungry for either.