Is St. Louis-Style Pizza Vegan?
Unveiling The Ingredients
St. Louis-style pizza (What wine goes well with pizza?) features a few distinct attributes that are closely tied to the region's culinary tradition. Typically, this type of pizza is known for its thin, cracker-like crust, a special blend of processed cheese called Provel, and a characteristic way of slicing the pizza into squares instead of the traditional pie slices. Given that the original recipe for St. Louis-style pizza includes dairy cheese and often meat toppings, it is not inherently vegan.
However, the evolving dietary preferences and increasing demand for plant-based options have influenced St. Louis pizzerias to adapt. Vegan renditions of the city’s iconic pizza are now more accessible. Some local restaurants have begun to offer vegan cheese alternatives, plant-based meats, and an array of vegetable toppings to cater to the vegan community. This adaptation has made it possible for vegans to enjoy a version of St. Louis-style pizza without animal-derived ingredients.
Understanding St. Louis-Style Pizza
The distinctive elements of St. Louis-style pizza—its crust, signature Provel cheese, specially prepared sauce with unique toppings, and characteristic cutting style—set it apart from other regional pizza varieties.
Crust Characteristics
The crust of a St. Louis-style pizza is thin and cracker-like, with no yeast used in the dough. This results in a firm texture that can withstand a variety of toppings without becoming soggy.
Signature Provel Cheese
Provel cheese is a defining feature of this pizza style. A blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone cheeses, Provel provides a creamy and uniquely tangy flavor profile that melts smoothly over the pizza.
Unique Sauce and Toppings
The sauce used on a St. Louis-style pizza typically leans toward the sweeter side, with tomato being a primary ingredient. Toppings may vary but they are often applied generously, offering a balance to the crispy thin crust.
Cutting Style: Party or Tavern Cut
St. Louis-style pizzas are traditionally served with a party or tavern cut, meaning the pizza is cut into squares or rectangles, a departure from the typical pie wedge slices. This method is conducive to casual eating and sharing in a group setting.
Veganism and St. Louis Cuisine
St. Louis has embraced veganism, integrating it into its culinary scene. The city offers a variety of vegan options, reflecting a growing trend among restaurants to cater to plant-based diets.
Defining Vegan Foods
Vegan foods exclude all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and meat. In St. Louis, this definition shapes the menus of local eateries, where chefs creatively use plant-based ingredients to reinvent traditional dishes. For instance, vegan pizza in St. Louis substitutes dairy cheese with plant-based alternatives and features toppings like mushrooms, sweet peppers, and spinach.
Popularity of Vegan Options in St. Louis
The popularity of vegan options in St. Louis is on the rise, evident from the increasing number of restaurants offering plant-based dishes. Eateries range from dedicated vegan establishments to those introducing vegan-friendly items alongside traditional fare. Vegan options are becoming staples on the menus of many St. Louis restaurants, showcasing the city's culinary adaptability and its commitment to accommodating diverse dietary preferences.
Veganizing St. Louis-Style Pizza
Veganizing the traditional St. Louis-style pizza involves substituting key ingredients like cheese and meat toppings with plant-based alternatives. The cracker-like crust and use of distinctive Provel cheese require thoughtful selection of ingredients to maintain the pizza's unique characteristics.
Alternative Ingredients for Vegan Pizza
Crust: The St. Louis-style pizza crust is thin, crisp, and yeast-free. For a vegan crust, one can use ingredients such as all-purpose flour, baking powder, water, and vegan butter. Ensuring the absence of animal-derived additives is crucial for the dough's vegan integrity.
Sauce: The pizza sauce used is typically vegan-friendly, consisting of tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and spices. Checking for any hidden animal-derived ingredients like cheeses or meats is essential for adherence to vegan standards.
Vegan Cheese Options
Provel Alternative: Traditional St. Louis pizza is known for its Provel cheese, a creamy blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone. Vegan options include a homemade blend of cashew cheese, nutritional yeast, and a mixture of plant-based cheddar and mozzarella shreds to mimic the texture and flavor of Provel.
Readymade Cheese: Various brands offer vegan cheeses that melt and stretch similarly to dairy-based cheese. It's important to choose one that complements the flavor profile of St. Louis-style pizza.
Plant-Based Toppings
Meat-Free Meats: Local St. Louis pizzerias have begun incorporating meatless sausage and pepperoni, made from soy, wheat gluten, or pea protein. These alternatives offer the texture and flavor expected from traditional toppings without using animal products.
Vegetables: Classic vegetable toppings should be fresh and finely sliced to keep with the thin crust's characteristics. Options such as mushrooms, onions, green peppers, and olives provide richness and depth in flavor.
Restaurants Offering Vegan St. Louis-Style Pizza
Navigating the options for vegan St. Louis-style pizza can be simplified with a guide to restaurants providing plant-based versions of the iconic pie, ensuring that vegans can enjoy this local specialty.
Imo’s Pizza and Vegan Alternatives
Imo's Pizza, known for its original St. Louis-style pizza, does not offer a standard vegan pizza on its menu. However, vegan customers often customize their orders by opting for pizza without cheese or by bringing their own vegan cheese for the kitchen to use. For an authentic vegan St. Louis-style pizza experience, alternatives to Imo's are sought after by the vegan community.
Vegan-Friendly Pizza Establishments
Several establishments have risen to meet the demand for vegan pizza options in St. Louis. Pizza Head is a standout choice offering New York-style pizza with vegan cheese, pepperoni, and sausage. Although not St. Louis-style, their pizza is a testament to the vegan-friendly movement in the city's culinary scene. Another notable mention is Seedz Cafe, which, while not specifically known for pizza, provides a vegan menu catering to plant-based diets.
Pizza Head
Style: New York-style pizza with vegan options
Highlights: Vegan cheese, vegan pepperoni, and sausage
Seedz Cafe
Style: General vegan-friendly menu
Highlights: Variety of plant-based dishes suitable for vegans
Dining Options Beyond Pizza
For those looking for diversity in vegan dining, Peace Love Coffee offers a delightful array of vegan breakfast and lunch items that complement any plant-based diet. While they do not specialize in pizza, they are indicative of the broader vegan-friendly restaurant trend in St. Louis.
Peace Love Coffee
Style: Vegan breakfast and lunch
Highlights: Broad selection of vegan baked goods and hearty dishes
Comparative Analysis of Pizza Styles
When examining regional pizza varieties, particularly St. Louis and New York-style pizzas, differences span from crust to toppings. The influence of traditional Neapolitan pizza also remains evident in modern practices.
New York vs. St. Louis-Style Pizza
Crust: New York-style pizza features a thin, flexible crust that is hand-tossed, allowing for a foldable eating experience. In contrast, St. Louis-style pizza†boasts a cracker-thin crust that is firm and does not bend, typically made without yeast.
Cheese: A signature trait of St. Louis-style pizza is the use of Provel cheese, a processed blend incorporating provolone, Swiss, cheddar, and liquid smoke. Meanwhile, New York pizza predominantly employs mozzarella, known for its stretchiness and slightly tangy flavor.
Sauce and Toppings: Both styles traditionally use a tomato-based sauce, but St. Louis-style sauce is slightly sweeter and often includes more oregano. Toppings range widely, though New York slices are famous for generous amounts of toppings in comparison to the more modestly topped St. Louis slices.
Presentation: New York pizza is usually sold in large, wide slices from 18-inch pies, encouraging folding. St. Louis pizza is served cut into squares, a practice known as "party cut" or "tavern cut," facilitating easy sharing.
Neapolitan Influence on Modern Pizzerias
Dough and Cooking: The Neapolitan pizza lays its foundation in a soft, chewy crust, leavened with yeast and cooked in a wood-fired oven for a blistered, flavorful finish. Its influence is less pronounced in St. Louis-style pizza's cracker-like crust and more so in New York's airier, charred edges.
Traditional Standards: Authentic Neapolitan pizza adheres to strict guidelines for ingredients and preparation, certified by associations like the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN). Their criteria reflect less on the American adaptations but have guided a resurgence in appreciation for traditional methods and quality ingredients in pizzerias across the United States.
Simplicity and Craft: Neapolitan pizzas are typically sparsely topped, emphasizing the quality of each component. This minimalist approach has inspired a number of establishments to value quality over quantity, which can be observed in the care some New York and St. Louis pizzerias put into their ingredient selection and pizza-making techniques.
The Impact of Veganism on Local Food Culture
The rise of veganism in St. Louis is reshaping the culinary landscape, infusing sustainability into traditional dining and creatively altering beloved local dishes.
Shift towards Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Dining
The adoption of veganism in St. Louis is driving a shift towards more eco-friendly and sustainable dining choices. Establishments like SweetArt exemplify this transition, showcasing business models that pair environmental consciousness with gastronomic innovation. Their approach reduces the reliance on animal products, which is seen as a positive step toward reducing carbon emissions and preserving natural resources.
Influence of Veganism on Traditional St. Louis Dishes
Veganism's influence extends to the reinvention of St. Louis classics. The city's iconic St. Louis-style pizza, traditionally known for its use of non-vegan ingredients like Provel cheese, is being reimagined. For example, Gooseberries offers a vegan deluxe pizza, which is notable not only for its plant-based cheese alternative but also for its generous serving of vegetables such as mushrooms, sweet peppers, and kale, maintaining the dish’s local charm while aligning with vegan principles.
Case Studies of St. Louis Vegan Eateries
St. Louis boasts a variety of eateries that cater to plant-based diets, offering vegan options that are both innovative and satisfying. The city's vibrant vegan scene includes establishments like Pizza Head and Seedz Cafe, each known for their unique takes on vegan cuisine.
Pizza Head’s Vegan Pizza
Pizza Head, located on South Grand Blvd, is a vegetarian pizza restaurant with a punk rock vibe that notably offers New York-style pizza with vegan options. They feature vegan cheese, vegan pepperoni, and vegan sausage, making it a haven for those seeking plant-based versions of classic pizza. Customers have the option to create a custom whole pie or order by-the-slice, ensuring that vegan diners can enjoy a tailored experience.
Vegan-Friendly Toppings: Mushrooms, sweet peppers, red onions, spinach, and kale
Vegan Cheese: Yes
Service Options: Dine-in, Delivery, Take-out
Seedz Cafe's Plant-Based Menu
Seedz Cafe presents a completely plant-based menu showcasing organic and locally sourced ingredients. They offer a plethora of vegan options, echoing the city's commitment to inclusive and conscious eating. The cafe's menu includes a broad variety of dishes, from salads and sandwiches to hearty entrees, which are all vegan by default, highlighting the establishment's dedication to catering to the vegan community.
Menu Variety: Salads, Sandwiches, Entrees
Special Features: Organic and locally sourced ingredients
Vegan Default: All menu items
While Pizza Head and Seedz Cafe are notable examples, St. Louis's vegan food scene is further enriched by Terror Tacos and Peace Love Coffee, adding diversity and depth to the city's vegan dining options. Each establishment contributes to St. Louis’s growing reputation as a city that respects and embraces plant-based diets.
