Calzone vs Stromboli: What's the Difference?

Published March 9th, 2021 by Devteam

To the untrained eye, a calzone might look a lot like stromboli. They're both just variations of rolled-up pizza, right?

Wrong. There's a big difference.

We're going to explore the basics of calzone vs stromboli today, helping you to understand their differences and what makes them both so great.

What's The Difference Between Calzone vs Stromboli?

We'll start with the stromboli.

The stromboli is an Italian-American dish that originated in Philidelphia sometime around 1950. It's a selection of cold-cut meats, vegetables, sauces, and cheeses that are rolled in the dough. The dough pinwheels and rolls a few times before it's cut, leading to a delicious product that's easy to eat without various ingredients falling out.

It winds up looking like a swiss roll, except with meat and bread instead of creamy filling. The stromboli is typically cooked in a large roll and cut after it's baked.

Your result is a selection of delicious strombolis, all of which exposing the tasty ingredients rolled throughout the dough. Strombolis are easy to carry while you walk around as well, although they're not quite as easy as the calzone.

What are Calzones?

If stromboli is were a burrito, the calzone would be a taco. Instead of rolled up with ingredients, the dough used in a calzone is laid flat, the ingredients are placed in the center, and the dough is folded over.

Then, you bake it at different lengths depending on your ingredients. The calzone is a little easier to make, but that doesn't make it any less delicious. Many of the same ingredients are used in strombolis and calzones.

In most cases, they're Italian-based ingredients that one might find in a pizza. One common difference in ingredient use, though, is that calzones use ricotta cheese. Strombolis don't tend to use this kind of cheese, maybe because it would be more likely to ooze out of the sides of the roll.

The calzone actually comes from Naples, Italy, although different variations of spread throughout Italy, The United States, and the rest of the world.

Why Does The Difference Matter?

It's probably the case that any restaurant would know what you meant if you used stromboli and calzone interchangeably.

That said, there's a lot of variation and craft involved with making the two meals, respectively. You're missing out on those nuances if you just choose to consider both of these meals as one.

Understanding the difference between stromboli and calzone will allow you to make more informed decisions at restaurants, as well as helping you do a better job of learning how to make a calzone or stromboli.

Once you get underway, you can start to explore how different herbs, spices, meats, and cheeses interact with the two dishes. You'll start to become an expert chef on your own and have a keen eye for the best dishes in your town.

Interested in Italian Foods?

Understanding the difference between calzone vs stromboli is one of the first steps into appreciating Italian food. We're here to help you become an expert.