A perspective on the pizza crust

Recall the last time you’re having a convo with your buddies. You might come across some topics that seem mundane, but contentious at last. As if we fell short of serious conversation topics - to call out a few.

1. What is your least favorite ice cream flavor?
2. What are your go-to pizza toppings?

I know right? Following its linguistic framing, I thought they’re intended for ice-breaking or as a segue to the main topic. Yet, this set of questions has acquired higher significance than some ever thought possible.

Here is a modest one. Would you eat the crust of a pizza?

There is a proper term for the crust – cornicione. Some people don’t mind devouring the entire slice, while others leave that outer rim sitting on the pan. Why? Perhaps the answer could be an obvious one: there’s something off with the dough that leads to a dry and bland cornicione. Some people may simply find the idea of eating the crust unappealing.

Sure, some pizzerias dab and spread the toppings all the way to the edge so that the visible part of the crust now disappears. No food waste, high efficiency of material cost, the end of the debate. It’s a win-win equilibrium for everyone. Or is it?

As it turns out, cornicione prevents base sauces, cheese, and all other liquified toppings from melting past the edge and dripping to the bottom of the baking chamber. People who don’t eat the crust also still have their skin in the game to ensure the livelihood of cornicione because they’d otherwise have a rowdy time enjoying the pizza. As a matter of fact, abundant inorganic materials such as plastics or napkins would have been wasted if the cornicione hadn’t taken over the duty of this bio-degradable pizza holder. Some people even proclaim that a cornicione-less pizza is a downright heresy.

Honestly, the above reasonings are inquisitively banal. There might be the holy grail of why most pizzas are defaulted to come with cornicione. The ‘wholesome’ pizza caters to everyone’s needs, regardless of whether people would end up eating the cornicione.

In other words, it’s the pareto efficient state!

A situation where no agents can be made better off without making at least one other individual worse off.

The removal of cornicione, in contrast, appeals to the cornicione-averse individuals at the expense of the preference for the cornicione-philic folks. The former group can be only better off by making the latter worse off, which violates the pareto efficient outcome.

If some people want it and others don’t, why do pizzerias refrain from making it customizable? It’s exasperating and too much hassle for the pizzeria. Let the invisible hands get the job done.