Crispy, curled-up edges. A tiny pool of spicy oil in every slice. This is everything you need to know about cup and char pepperoni: what it is, why it cups, the best brands, and how to get it on your pizza.
Joe has eaten and reviewed hundreds of pizzas across Buffalo and beyond, and one topping keeps coming up: cup and char. In this video he breaks down what makes it different from the flat pepperoni most people grew up with, and why pizza lovers go out of their way for it.
Short version: it is a pepperoni built to curl into a cup in the oven. The edges crisp up and char, and the center holds a little pool of seasoned, rendered fat.
Watch on YouTubeIt is not luck and it is not the oven. Cup and char pepperoni is made a specific way so it curls every time.
Cupping pepperoni is stuffed into a casing that tightens quickly in the heat. The edge shrinks before the middle does, pulling the slice up into a bowl.
Too thin and the whole slice curls and burns. Too thick and it lies flat. Cup and char is sliced so the edges lift while the center stays anchored to the cheese.
Cup and char usually comes as a narrow stick sliced at the pizzeria, not the wide pre-sliced rounds you see on chain pizzas.
The raised rim gets crispy and charred, almost like bacon.
The seasoned oil collects in the cup instead of soaking the whole slice.
Crispy edge, chewy center. Two textures in every bite.
A pie covered in little charred cups just looks better.
Cup and char is a hallmark of Buffalo-style pizza. Pile it all the way to the edge on a thicker, golden crust and you have the classic Western New York pie.
Where to Find ItWant it at home? These are the names pizza makers talk about most when it comes to pepperoni that actually cups.
The Buffalo name in cup and char, with a stick pepperoni made specifically to cup.
A favorite of serious pizzerias for small, thick-cut cups that char hard.
A grocery-store pepperoni designed from the start to cup and crisp.
A natural casing stick that gives you a solid cup with real smoke flavor.
Find pizzerias that use cup and char, read real reviews, and see Joe's scores on review.pizza.